Saturday, April 25th, 2009

Saturday, April 25th, 2009

Isaiah 43:1-3a
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. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Oh, what a marvelous day it is to be alive and have the One who created me, even the Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient One, to take note of me. Yes, it is this God of mine, Jehovah, the great I AM, who created me and who formed me. He made me the way that He wanted me to be, and did it personally. I have not been left out in the darkness of having to deal with impersonal, cold matter, rather, I hear and know a God calling me, who says, "I created you, I formed you." What a pleasure it is to be made and to be sustained by a God who takes note of me!

God then addresses me as an individual, addressing my fears and desires. He addresses my anxieties and worries. He looks at me and tells me that I am not to fear. But, this isn't enough, He doesn't just tell me not to be afraid, but He tells me why I shouldn't be afraid. God has redeemed me. God has saved me from sin and misery. He has called my by name, He has called me as an individual. God did not just call a mass of people to be saved, but He called each one, individually. Jesus Christ, on the cross had individuals in mind as He was suffering a brutal death, and yet still an even more brutal spiritual punishment (the Father turning His back on the Son) for our sins. What an amazing thought, let it roll through my mind slowly, savoring every last second of the thought. Jesus Christ, while He was being beaten, while He was on the earth, while He was in the garden agonizing over the punishment that He would face, did it with me in mind. He took my punishment, and knew every sin that I ever would do, and died still even for a wretch like me.

Oh, this bliss, this glorious thought, will carry me through the dark waters that attempt to drown me. It will carry me through the powerful waters that try to hold me down. My God tells me that He will be with me through the thick and thin of life. He will be with me as the waters and the rivers try to overwhelm me. As He spoke to the world and created it, as He speaks to the seas and tells them where they are to go, and no more or higher than that, I rest assured. The King of Glory has created and sustains all things, and He will not allow the waters of life to overcome me, as He will not allow the waters in the physical world to overwhelm me.

Just as the disciples on the boat, as Jesus was asleep were consumed with fear, and thought they would die, so it is that I react, yet, it is because I do not realize what this promise of God truly is. God says that just as Jesus stood up and calmed the storm, so He will always be with me, and calm the storm just at the right time. And if the storm does not calm in this lifetime, He will be with me all the way through it until the end.

Next, moving from one element that can be used for great destruction to another, God tells me that fire will not even harm me. The fire of this life, when I walk through it, will not burn or hurt me, the flame will not catch on me. Fire, such a destructive force, is in within the absolute control of God. So, just as God can control all the elements, He will control all the circumstances in my life to ensure that what is best for me happens. Surely, goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.

So, the reason that all of these things are true is because God is my Lord and God, He is the Holy One, and He is my Savior.

Oh God, my Savior, and my King. My almighty powerful God, let me come before you this morning, knowing that you are the ruler of all things, and knowing that you took special care over me, by calling me and saving me from death and destruction. Oh, amazing love, how can it be, that you my God, should die for me! Let me today bask in the wonder of the cross of Christ. And give my soul, my life my all to Him today. Amen.