“Fear not, for I have redeemed you…You are mine.” – Isaiah 43:1 (NKJV)
In Isaiah 43, God insists that Israel should not fear because He has redeemed them. He claims Israel as His own and calls them by name. Friends, calling by name indicates familiar intimacy. Can you believe our God is our Kinsperson Redeemer? Regardless of what you face today, whether you walk through mighty seas, small rivers, great fires, or little flames, the God – Who redeems will accompany you and protect you! He is our Redeemer – the price paid for our salvation!
God, our High Priest, is touched by the very feeling of our infirmities (Hebrews 4:15-16) and desires us to seek Him. Sometimes, we face situations that consume our thoughts day and night, and we focus so much on the situation that we forget we serve God, Who is concerned about everything that concerns us (Isaiah 43:5-6).
God has a special and unique claim upon us because He is our Creator. His ownership is personal because He says I have called you by your name. His ownership is certain because He seals it by saying, You are mine. Knowing that we belong to the Lord is wonderful. We know that He holds us, protects, guards, and cares for us. As believers, we must know that our Lord and Saviour would not have created, redeemed, and called us unless He intended to finish His work in us. How can we be afraid when we know this God is for us and is looking out for our interests?
Isaiah 43 shows that trials are inevitable; it doesn’t say if you pass through the waters; it says when you pass through the waters (Isaiah 43:2-5). The text doesn’t say, ‘When you walk on a luxurious padded carpet, I will be with you.’ It says God will be with us in the toughest of circumstances. Trials are varied; sometimes, we face rivers and, sometimes, fire. Floods overwhelm, fires consume, but with God’s help, we can overcome. We don’t have to panic or be anxious, we don’t have to fear, and we don’t have to run as if we don’t trust God. He can strengthen us in our trials so that we can walk through the fire. Be encouraged, believers!
Jerry Bridges said, “If we are going to learn to trust God in adversity, we must believe God will allow nothing to subvert His glory so He will allow nothing to spoil the good He is working out in us and for us.” We can trust God, even when life hurts.
Read: Romans 14:8; Philippians 4:13Bible Reading Guide: Proverbs 23:19-28; Ephesians 4:1-16; Isaiah 60; Isaiah 61; Isaiah 62
