Fear not.
For I have redeemed you.
I have summoned you by NAME;
YOU ARE MINE.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your stead.
Since YOU ARE PRECIOUS
and honoured in my sight
and because I LOVE YOU,
I will give men in exchange for you,
and people in exchange for your life.
DO NOT BE AFRAID,
for I am with you."
Isaiah 43:1-5
This weekend, I was reminded and encouraged to take hold of God's promises and to claim them and pray through them. God desires to bless us and give us life, and His word is full of so many promises that can drastically change our life if we are aware of them, and ask for them. This passage from Isaiah has become my favourite, and I find myself turning to it often, or thinking through verses in my head. Discouragement, anger, sorrow, frustration, anxiety, insecurity, loneliness, fear, depression, worry. These 5 verses seem to take it all away.
Fear not. It is good that God starts by saying this, because this is so often our problem, isn't it? We are afraid. Afraid of the future, afraid of heartbreak, afraid of sin, afraid of being alone, afraid of relationships, afraid of being left out, afraid of making a mistake, afraid of not being enough… afraid, afraid, afraid. Fill in the blank yourself.. When God tells you "Fear not", what is the fear He is trying to calm? What is your fear?
Fear not, for I have redeemed you.
We deserve death. We deserve hell. We deserve separation. This great God, says that He has redeemed us. That means He has payed off our debt and made it possible for us to have life. Full life. Essentially, He has rescued us. Fear not, for I have rescued you. He has not only rescued us from death, but rescued us from our fears. What are you afraid of? God can rescue you.
I have summoned you by name. You are mine.
You're not just a number. You are not just one of 7.046 billion people in this world. You weren't just created and then forgotten. Guess what? God knows your name. This fact in itself is enough to bring great comfort. In Psalm 139:16 it says, "All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be."He knows you. Earlier in the Psalm it says, "You have searched me, and you know me. You know when I set and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with ALL MY WAYS. Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O Lord." He has searched you. He doesn't jus know the person you were the day you were born, or the day you graduated from high school, or got married, or the day you came to know Him personally. He knows you today. He knows your struggle, your dreams, your achievements. He knows the way your laugh sounds, and the number of hairs on your head. He is aware of all your habits - how late you like to sleep, how fast you drive, the way you brush you teeth, your routine throughout the day. He knows the people you want to see, He knows the things that hurt you, and the things that make you laugh. And when He says, "Fear not", He knows what He's talking about, because He knows exactly what fears you have. So then, He always knows that He can tell you not to be afraid, because He knows He can handle you life, He can handle your day, and He knows that He can rescue you. And then, at the end of verses one we see this:
You
are
mine.
You are mine.
We look after things that belong to us. If you're a parent, you look after your children. You care for them, and desire only what is best for them. God is the perfect Father, and when He says, "You are mine" we can realize that this is a promise, not only a promise that we will always belong, but a promise that we will always be cared for. That's huge.
Verse 2 then expands on the fact that we are His.
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."
We fear the waters. We fear the rivers. We fear the fire.
And then we see His promises: "I will be with you. The rivers will not sweep over you. You will not be burned. The flames will not set you ablaze." Do not fear. He has rescued you. He knows you. You belong to Him, and therefore He will care for you and protect you. He promises. How can we trust His promises? The answer is simple - "For I am the Lord, you God."
We don't need a deeper explanation. His word tells us that He is unchanging and faithful, so He simply reminds us that He is God, and that in itself, is enough reassurance that His promises will be kept and fulfilled.
Why does He do all this for us?
"…You are precious and honoured in my sight, and because I love you…"
You are precious to God. You have value and great worth.
He loves you.
This, dear friends, is a passage of great promises, and of great encouragement.
Do not fear.
He has rescued you.
He has called you by name.
You are His.
He has promised to protect you.
HE IS GOD.
You are precious.
You have value.
He loves you.
Next time you find yourself afraid, whatever the reason, think on this.
"Do not be afraid, for I am with you."
