“Do not fear, for I have REDEEMED you; I have summoned you by name; you are MINE. When you pass through the waters, I WILL BE WITH YOU; and when you pass through the rivers, they will NOT sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will NOT be burned; the flames will NOT set you ablaze. For I AM the Lord your GOD, the Holy One of Israel, your SAVIOR!" Isaiah 23:1-3
How amazingly cherished this verse makes me feel! God redeemed me. That means He paid off my debt. He has forgiven me my sins through the ultimate sacrifice of His one and only beloved son, Jesus. This is God's agreement with us to wipe our slates clean. "In him [Jesus] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace." Ephesians 1:7
While I strive to live a life that is holy and pleasing to Him, I can honestly tell you that I am merely a sinner saved by grace. Each one of us is. I have made my fair share of monumental mistakes in life. I have failed God. Yet, He has NEVER failed me. When we seek His forgiveness and we earnestly seek to walk with Him daily by spending time in His word [the Bible] and communicating with Him through simple, honest prayers from our hearts, He transforms our hearts and souls. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" 2 Corinthians 5:17
That doesn't mean that we won't make mistakes or continue to be tempted by sin because Satan will tempt us. Yet, God not only knows my name but He calls me by my name. He calls you by name also. He desires to have an intimate, personal relationship with each one of His children. I am comforted in knowing that He is with me ALWAYS. No matter what I am facing, He will NOT allow it to consume me. Furthermore, Exodus 14:14 tells me "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” So, not only will God not allow me to be consumed, but He will also fight my battles for me. He is fighting your battles for you as well, dear one!
Why? It is rather quite a simple answer but it can be difficult to fathom. God loves us. He chooses to love us, to redeem us, to forgive us, to save us, to fight for us, to protect us, to comfort us, to provide us with shelter and so much more. He is the One True Sovereign God. Therefore, He alone has the power to redeem us and fight for us. He is the Almighty God, the Holy One, the Alpha and Omega (Beginning and End), our Savior and Redeemer!
Guess what, dear one? God loves you immensely. He doesn't want you to fear. He doesn't want you to allow shame or guilt over your former mistakes to hold you back from the wonderful plans He has for your new, redeemed life. "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" John 8:36 .He desires for you to know Him intimately. He wants to provide you with comfort and shelter. He longs to fight your battles for you as well. All you need to do is ask Him.
My prayer is that each of you know His Truth, experience His immense love for you, and be filled with His amazing peace. For nothing is sweeter than to be able to walk through life with God by your side, watching over you, providing comfort and rest, and being your ally when you need to enter into battle.
Redeemed by Big Daddy Weave
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