THIS I BELIEVE:  GOD CARES DEEPLY FOR YOU

Monday, January 18, 2016

Isaiah 43:4

Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.

For most of the book of Isaiah, God’s people are either being warned that they better get right with God or bad things will happen, or bad things have happened and they are in captivity with the Prophet telling them that God still loves them and will redeem them.  Chapter 43 is formed around this latter message.  When Isaiah 43 is received, Israel is in captivity in Babylon and without hope.  Yet into this situation God says, I LOVE YOU!!!!!  I will do anything to get you back, even a prisoner exchange.  I will give up nations just to get you, my own people, Israel, back.

God is amazing.  I might have simply left Israel in their mess; after all, they did it to themselves.  Ummm, but then when I “do it to myself”, when I end up in my own mess, I certainly don’t want God to leave me there.  I want to hear exactly what Israel heard, that God loves me and in spite of my disobedience, God is willing to come rescue me.

That’s how much God loves us.  No matter what, the God who created you and me says, I love you.  I am on my way to get you because you are precious and honored in my heart.  Beloved, that is the God we serve, that is the love lavished on us daily.  May we know and receive it, beginning now.