May 19 – Called To Be His

“But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”  - Isaiah 43:1 (ESV)

The nation and people of Israel were precious to the heart of God.  God had chosen them purely on the basis of His will and not because of anything they had done to deserve it. Promises were given to Abraham, then Isaac and then Jacob/Israel.  It was Jacob, the deceiver who wrestled with the Angel of God and became Israel, the Prince with God.  God uses both names when he speaks through the prophet Isaiah to the nation.  The promise out of this verse is ours as well. We have been called by God, chosen by Him on the basis of His will alone to believe.  We are comforted these days by the words “Fear not.”  We never need to be afraid because we have been redeemed by God who has called us also by name and put his claim of ownership upon us. God says to us today just as he said to the nation through Isaiah, “You are mine.”  If we believe and receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we have been freed from the consequences of our sin, we belong to God. We are His and He will take care of us forever in all circumstances - Hallelujah! 

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January 3 – Fear Not, We Belong

“But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”  - Isaiah 43:1  (ESV)

The first five verses of Isaiah 43 are promises from God for His people. Delivered by Isaiah, God's prophet to Israel, these words were recorded for us and all of God's people in the Bible.  As God declares in this verse He is the creator of all His people.  God was not only their creator but the one that formed them into a nation of His chosen people. Today, we also are God’s people and the promises here are for us as well. God has the right of ownership of us because He is our Creator and became our Redeemer because His creation failed to obey Him and sinned in Adam in the Garden.  It is a personal ownership, because He calls us by our name. His ownership is certain, because He seals it by saying "You are mine." When God stakes ownership on us, it is absolute.  God cannot lose ownership of us once we have been redeemed through faith in Jesus His Son. Because of these promises, we have no need to be afraid of what is ahead or what unknown might happen.  So, God is also promising that we have nothing to fear when He commands us to fear not. Again, we have nothing to fear because we have been redeemed if we are indeed in God's family through faith.

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August 24 – He Knows, He Feels, He Loves

“I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord, the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord has granted us, and the great goodness to the house of Israel that he has granted them according to his compassion, according to the abundance of his steadfast love. … In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.”   Isaiah 63: 7, 9 (ESV)

We are again looking at the writings of Isaiah for a special message for our encouragement today.  In verse 7, Isaiah tells of how the Lord God  had been kind to His people Israel.  Note that it was according to God's compassion and according to the abundance of his steadfast love.  When supply of anything is according to and not out of, the supply is unending – it will never cease.  Then, in verse 9 the prophet makes a remarkable statement.  We need to remember that God  is not way up there and far away from His people.  And as He was with His people in the time of Isaiah, He is with us, today.  He knows our struggles, how we are feeling and He feels with us.  When we need it, He will carry us through whatever challenges we are facing.  The prophet said this was according of His lovingkindness and we can trust the promise that His love continues for us to this day.  

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March 23 – Carried By Him

“I shall make mention of the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, the praises of the Lord, According to all that the Lord has granted us, ... Which He has granted them according to His compassion And according to the abundance of His lovingkindnesses. For He said, “Surely, they are My people, Sons who will not deal falsely.” ... In His love and in His mercy He redeemed them, And He lifted them and carried them all the days of old.” Isaiah 63:7-9 (NASB)

The prophet Isaiah often reminded the people of God's goodness. These three verses display His lovingkindness – also called mercy and steadfast love. In verse 8 he recounts what God says about His people and the last words in verse 9 give us the picture of what the Lord did for His people long ago. We've shared this verse today because they remind us of how He is taking care of us these day. If you are a follower of Christ and call yourself a Christian, you are likely noticing a growing hostility in society toward all who also call themselves Christian. But in this time, we still trust his promise that He is lifting us up and carrying us.  We are living the Christian life, not  in our own strength, but in the strength that God provides to us each day. On our own we would know how to walk by faith. So we are thankful to God today that He has promised to to carry us.

April 22 – Summoned By Name

“But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel:  “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”  Isaiah 43:1

These are great words of assurance for God’s people a long time ago, so what is the good reason for us to read them today? It is because we believe that they tell us what kind of God we have. In Old Testament days God was dealing with Israel as His special people. Since Jesus came to earth and died on the cross and rose from the dead, God has been dealing with all who believe and accept Jesus as Savior. Jesus died to redeem us from sin. God wants us to know we are redeemed and that God considers us His own – we belong to Him. He knows each of us by name.  He says to us, “Fear not for I have redeemed you.”

May 20

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”  Isaiah 43:1 (NIV)

There is something very personal about the way our Lord deals with His followers. In the Old Testament God showed His personal interest in His people many times, as he did here through Isaiah.  We know that the truth of this applies to us, too, because Jesus spoke of Himself as calling His own sheep by their names. Our Lord knows us each by name and that is not all that He knows about us.  He knows everything, our thoughts, our desires, our needs. All this expresses a personal relationship with each of us. The Lord says we are His. We belong to Him as individuals and that is why he knows us.

April 22

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1  (NIV)

One of the most assuring truths recorded in the Bible is about what God thinks of His followers. What God said to His people in the Old Testament days is true about those who have believed in Jesus in our times. We have been redeemed, purchased out of slavery to sin. Jesus paid a price for us on the cross; therefore we belong to Him today if we have accepted what He did. Your name is recorded in heaven. Our relationship to God is so personal. He can call us by name and He thinks of us as belonging to Him. So accept this truth as pertaining to you for God knows each of his children by name and calls to you by your name.