1 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.
2 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.
3 For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead.
4 Since you are precious and honoured in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.
5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
8 Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf.
9 All the nations gather together and the peoples assemble. Which of their gods foretold this and proclaimed to us the former things? Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right, so that others may hear and say, “It is true.”
10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.
Uncertainty has the potential to be the fertiliser that sprouts the stems of worry and fear into our lives. It’s not unusual to turn to various people, professionals and other sources when we are searching for answers, information and guidance.
It’s so easy to get caught up in; the current spiralling chaos caused by Coronavirus pandemic; the repetition of 3rd, 4th, 5th hand information, only to induce further confusion, worry and fear for others and ourselves. Pushing that extra dose of trust and focus we should be putting into the Lord, further away into the shadows. When the fact is that God is the only true source for accurate guidance as He is the only one who has the blueprint for how ALL things begin, the direction they’ll take, plus when and how they’ll come to an end.
Not only can He guide us through uncertain times but we are also gifted with an inner peace that He has left us with, to comfort and see us through.
From the repeated command of “…fear not…” We are reminded not to allow the spirit of fear to enter and linger as it grows stronger with time and only serves to cloud our judgement and inspire destruction in our lives.
There is something very comforting and precious to me about how the Lord claims ownership of us individually in verse 1.
During these uncertain times and prolonged isolation from physically being amongst each other - let us use this platform to all come together and maintain spiritual connection and fellowship to support and uplift one another, while keeping God’s word at the core of it all.
What does this mean to you personally? What stood out for you? How might this be relatable or applied today?
Feel free to share your thoughts on the verses above and create a conversation. Let us know your thoughts on this.
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Hi everyone. Some great insights. @evenstill101, I'd be happy to look at the scripture and post my understanding. We've all quoted a few passages so when you say verse 3-4, which book are you referring?
@ Kathleen. I too appreciate how He touches on the awareness that at times we may feel like problems and discouragement can seem to be coming from every angle, all directions, so we feel like there is nowhere to turn. I have at times felt surrounded, trapped! Yet He is assuring me that He is able to reach the North, East, South and West, and deliver commands that WILL be obeyed because HE IS in control. He is letting me know that I truly have nothing to fear for He will do whatever is necessary to uphold His promise of being my protector, my comforter and my provider… If it was not true He would not have said so (Isaiah…
This passage of scripture relates well to us all at this time of Covid-19, what instantly stood out for me in verse 1 was the words ”… you are mine”, straight way it reminds me of who I am and whose I am, understanding that we all belong to him and that we are not alone in this.
We could relate verse 2, “When you pass through” …, to the fact that there is not anyone on this planet right now who is exempt from being affected by this Covid-19, so we have no choice but to go through it. As we are all unique, our own experience will differ from one person to the next but our loving God…
This is personal. God is speaking to me. He comforts me by telling me of the lengths He is willing to go to alay my fears. He tells me how valuable I am to Him and as a result, my children. As He commanded the Heavens and the Earth, He will command the North, South, East or West so that I am back within His Will, meaning He will tear down strongholds that keep me away from Him.
Now is the question, why? What have I done to deserve this level of protection and love?
The answer is that there is nothing that I can do apart from yield to Him alone. To acknowledge Jesus Christ was persecuted, crucified, died…