Back when I was in the 3rd and 4th grade, my two best friends lived next door. They were Kirk and Mark (we called Mark, Marker. I don’t remember why). Kirk was a year older than me and Marker was a year younger. Kirk loved Baseball. He would play baseball in the street with some of the older kids on the block until the younger kids (like me) would complain to our parents and make the older kids play with us.
On Saturdays the older kids would gather together in Kirks backyard (he had a covered patio) and trade baseball cards for hours. I remember one time I barged in, baseball cards in hand, demanding to be part of the action. To my surprise the older kids welcomed me with smiles and said to put all my cards out so everyone could see what I had. Once they saw my cards, the trading began. I had no idea what I was doing. I asked questions and looked to Kirk before making any trades. By the time everyone was ready to go out and play some baseball, all my “good cards” had been traded for worthless ones. The older boys laughed, and told me it was time for me to go home. They had completely taken advantage of me.
Isaiah 61:1-3 tells us that when we have a personal encounter with Jesus, we lay out all of our “worthless cards” and He replaces them with “World Series cards”…
He trades our sin for righteousness!
He trades our captivity for freedom!
He trades our blindness for sight!
He trades our oppression for joy!
He trades our ashes for a crown of beauty!
He trades our mourning for gladness!
He trades our garment of despair for one of praise!
I still know nothing about baseball, but I can say that the trade I made with Jesus was better than winning the World Series.
The good news is…the same trade is available to you too.
Living Life by Design 
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