You are precious
(NKJV) Isaiah 43: 1 But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
3 For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
Oh, how I love the book of Isaiah! God identifies Himself as the Creator and then almost immediately says He redeemed Israel. As a child, I used to help my mother glue green stamps into a book. The stamps were considered a “premium” for shopping at a certain grocery store. There was a redemption center where we exchanged stamps for merchandise, and that was one of the first times I was introduced to the idea of redemption.
I was raised in church, but seeing my mother exchange a book of stamps for a new tablecloth was something I could see and touch. When God says He is the Redeemer, He is saying “It is I Who bought you back…”. Oh, I understand it now, but as a child the only thing I really understood was,” Jesus loves me this I know…”
But to me, one of the best things in this scripture is, “I have called you by name.” The God of the Universe knows each one of us by name. In a world where it is easy to feel practically invisible, we have the assurance that we belong, we have a place with God! Isn’t that comforting?
God does not say “if” you go through the waters and through the fire, but instead, “when” you go through trials. In this world we will have problems, we will have illnesses—we will be hurt by people and sometimes we will hurt people—but God is still on the throne.
May we keep our eyes upon our Redeemer, our Creator, the lover of our souls, and may we act as though we are precious is His sight, because we are.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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