Skip to main content

you are God's

Isaiah 43:1
"But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and He that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine."

God is the creator of all. And, He has His chosen people. When the chosen was the nation of Israel, they experienced times of exile and hardship. And God provided divine protection and redemption. God reassures His people that, despite our suffering and the apparent hopelessness of our situation, we need not fear the future because He has redeemed us. The act of redemption is significant, as it implies a price has been paid, much like the Passover redemption where the firstborn were saved through the blood of a lamb.

In addition, God’s calling people by name signifies a personal relationship and adoption, indicating that His people belong to God and are precious in His sight. The verse concludes with the promise that God will be with His people through their trials, whether they are passing through waters, rivers, fire, or flames. This promise of divine presence and protection is meant to instill confidence and hope in the midst of difficulties.

In reality, the human condition comes with difficulties. We can meet these challenges with God, baptized, with an indelible mark on our souls. Transformed and dedicated to God. Washing away original sin and no longer under the power of sin. The old self, or the old nature, is seen as being done away with, so that we are no longer slaves to sin. OR, you can face the challenges of life, with all the complications of sin and add on the difficulties of being in rebellion against God. But, nobody's got time for that!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

broken

Luke 22:61 "And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny Me thrice." The cock crowed. Peter had denied Jesus—three times. Peter, who had walked on water, confessed Jesus as Messiah, and opposed the cross (earning “Get behind Me, Satan”). That day was already crushing: the Last Supper, Gethsemane, Jesus’ arrest. Peter drew his sword, then stood down. Following at a distance, he was recognized: “You were with Him.” “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Third denial. Earlier, Jesus warned Peter would deny Him thrice. Peter swore: “Even if all fall away, I never will. Even if I must die with You, I will not deny You.” (Matt 26:33–35; Mark 14:29–31; Luke 22:33–34; John 13:37–38) Now Jesus—beaten, bound—looks at Peter. Not with condemnation. With love. Peter breaks. He is not who he thought he was...

The Bread of Life

John 6:33-35 "33 For the bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34 Then said they unto Him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." We were studying GOD'S Covenant symbolized by the RAINBOW. It's a VERY important message to know that the Great Flood will NOT happen again. When we see the RAINBOW we want to remember this Covenant. We also want to remember our own Covenant with GOD and how the waters of Baptism washed us clean and gives us the promise of eternal life. This week we will study another Covenant from GOD; The Covenant of Holy Communion. Instituted by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In today's verses He gave us a deep insight into how important and connected this promise from GOD is; "For the BREAD of GOD is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the wo...

Jeroboam

2 Kings 14:25 "He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of His servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gathhepher." We’re continuing our series on God’s calling of His people. Last week we saw how God transformed the Apostle Paul—from zealous enemy to greatest champion. A clear theme is emerging: those God calls often start with reluctance. This week we meet one of the most famous reluctant prophets, Jonah. Jonah’s first recorded prophecy appears in 2 Kings 14:25. He foretold that King Jeroboam II would restore Israel’s borders from Hamath to the Dead Sea. This prophecy came true, bringing a season of prosperity to the northern kingdom. This historical note is important. It confirms Jonah was a real prophet whose words carried divine authority. By naming him “Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher,” Scripture anchors the he...