Isaiah 43:1-2
But now [in spite of past judgments for Israel’s sins], thus says the Lord, He Who created you, O Jacob, and He Who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you [ransomed you by paying a price instead of leaving you captives]; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you.
He's always with me. He never leaves me or forsakes me. In spite of my failings, my sin, my human frailty, He is there. Even though there are all these people, He has time for me. He paid a very high price to be in relationship with me and He most definitely gets His money's worth or rather His Son's blood's worth. When I think about all the times I haven't sought Him but He's sought me, I'm so humbled. I think about situations where He made sure it would work out for my good and I'm amazed. I often talk about being purified by fire. There have been times in my life when He's presence was the fire. What was best for me caused me great pain. This relationship wouldn't be able to stand on its own had I not walked through losing my mentor, not getting in UNC, and not getting into med school the first time. I also know I wouldn't know Him like I do had I not needed to cling to Him. Those nights I cried with my Bible against my chest: the fire.
Isaiah 43: 10-11
You are My witnesses, says the Lord, and My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know Me, believe Me and remain steadfast to Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me.
I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no Savior.
I realize its a radical thought but God is the same. He's the same God that parted the Red Sea, that had Jonah eaten but NOT digested by a whale, and who tested Job. Job was the first book of the Bible I ever read. I read it because it was assigned to us in 10th grade English. We read and discussed the whole book. Job was God's guy and God LET the devil test Job. Job lost everything but remained faithful unto God, who he wasn't getting any blessing, favor, or apparent love from. I don't know if God has ever tested you to see if you were serious about your faith but He's tested mine. "Do you trust me? Will you still worship me if not? Would you give me back that thing that you hold so valuable?" <---Real questions God has asked me. It isn't always easy, in fact it usually isn't easy. Possible is what the will of God is. Its possible.
The thing about knowing God is that you know He's better, greater, more powerful, worthy, loving, kind, generous, merciful. You know these things but knowing them isn't always feeling them. Can I offer that being faithful to your faith is its own reward? When I look back at all the time He carried me through situations that looked awful simply because I kept believing or at minimum wanting to believe and didn't turn my back on Him? Talk about a testimony. God wants to show you His character but sometimes He's got to walk you through some situations so you can see who He is. There's no help besides Him. Trust Him. He's all we got!
Isaiah 43:13
Yes, from the time of the first existence of day and from this day forth I am He; and there is no one who can deliver out of My hand. I will work, and who can hinder or reverse it?
He's always been. You know sometimes, I sign my letters "Always" which means under my own power, I'll never leave you. God's always isn't like that. God's always is literally always. He knows all, sees all, allows all. This verse states plainly, no one can deliver out of My hand. <---Whatever God allows is what will happen. The influence of us humans is just not that big in the face of His will. We just don't have that kind of power. Free will is real though. Can I offer that even when we make a decision contrary to what God would want, that His purpose for us will still be fulfilled? Yes we do make decisions but God is still God. The power rests not with us but with Him. God knows and knew beforehand.
I can get my knees each and every day but that won't do me a bit of good if it isn't God's will. Its why I pray "If it be thy will Jesus." Trust me, its not because I want to all the time. Surrender is what that requires and sometimes I just want Him to do what I want. <---Not a thing.
Isaiah 43:21
The people I formed for Myself, that they may set forth My praise [and they shall do it
Oh to be righteous and upright. To be continuously praising God. I wish my life was like this. I endeavor for it to be. I try really hard but my most perfect effort falls short, so very short. But He made me for praise and that's what I will continue to do. I think about my time in choir and how I so loved just going to worship the Lord. I know it wasn't about that for a lot of people but it was for me. I just wanted to sing and I wanted to sing about Him. I'd always been able to sing a little bit but I was great in band so I never got to take chorus in middle and high school.
That was my praise then. My praise now is different. There's still singing but there's a lot more work on my relationship with God happening. There's a lot more study to my relationship now. The gift of studying comes in handy when you want to get to know God. So does the gift of writing. I look back at when I use to sing and I use to let people tell me who God was and now I know Him for myself. Learning that, becoming a person that seeks Him alone and lets Him move freely in my life....its a new day.
Isaiah 44:3
For I will pour water upon him who is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground. I will pour My Spirit upon your offspring, and My blessing upon your descendants.
God provides. I know it doesn't always seem like He does but as the Creator of all things, anything you need comes from Him. When I think about how much I wanted a baby in 2010, I know God provides. There was literally no way for me to get one but LP was born in April of 2011 and he lit up my life. He's my first love. He's love personified. He's a literal provision from above.
Now God isn't always sending babies. Right now I need Him to send a few things but can I tell you I know Him to be faithful. He has been....and not over a few things like He wants us to be but over all things. Even when it doesn't look like He is who He says He is, can I offer that what it looks like isn't always what it is? Can I offer that if we aren't seeing God for who He says He is in the Word, that we are the ones that are wrong? I know I have been so often wrong about God. Every time I wanted something I didn't get I assumed it was because God didn't care what I wanted. The Bible has no such verses in it. The Bible talks about His provision, His favor, His blessing, and His plans being better than ours. I've found that believing the Word when reality doesn't seem to match up is always the better choice. Faith in times that seem impossible will change you.
Can I also offer that the Spirit that God ours out on your offspring, aren't always your biological offspring. I know there are some "mothers" praying for me who didn't give birth to me and I'm grateful to know them and to be their "kid" in the Spirit.
Isaiah 44:22
I have blotted out like a thick cloud your transgressions, and like a cloud your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you
We are without sin. We are free from our transgressions. We are redeemed. When I think about all the things I've done wrong, said wrong, and just plain been wrong about I'm so grateful for the finished work of the cross. I think there's often a lack of revelation about what finished means. There's nothing else that needs to be done. There's not amount of service you could do to entitle you to inherit the kingdom of God anyway but we act like there is sometimes. Its like we forget that Christ did it all. He was a FULL and COMPLETE sacrifice for all sins for all mankind. We don't sacrifice animals anymore because He was the only sacrifice needed. Everything that ever was going to happen and everything that happened is gone. There's nothing separating us from the Father. If there's separation, its on us. And why, pray tell, do we let the guilt of sins God doesn't even see keep us from Him? Why are we sacrificing the relationship Christ died for because of our own nonsense? I'm not. I'm constantly trying to not do that.
Can I offer that no matter what you think you've done or someone else has done, if we belong to Him we are redeemed? Its true. We are His beloved. Walk in the reality.
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