But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy one of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee; therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

                                                                                                                             -Isaiah 43:1-7 

 

God’s faithfulness and goodness towards his people is amazing. Though we have done nothing to deserve it, his goodness and mercy endures. Israel and the spiritual seed of Jacob (for unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto those that were captive in Babylon) (Heb 4:2) though in a sinful, miserable condition, were promised to be cared for. God, who delights in mercy, pardons our iniquities and transgressions, he is not forever angry(Psalm 103:3-13) when we repent he turns again and has compassion upon us; pardons our iniquities and casts all our sins into the depths of the sea, not remembering them again, as he had sworn from days of old. Mercy rejoices against judgment.         

      

God had redeemed the children of Israel, first out of the land of Egypt, splitting the Red sea, enabling the Israelites to pass through safe, making a way for salvation for Israel and be a ransom for them.( Prov 21:18) Much more will he take care of those who are redeemed with the precious blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. As saints of God we are precious in the sight of God and Christ, not that we have any worth in us- we are no better than the others, we are not valuable in ourselves, but we are of great value in God’s sight, for He had chosen us and drawn us into his family, blessing us with all spiritual blessings in Jesus Christ, our Saviour who loved us and died for us, paying the penalty for our sins; for the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23), giving us his righteousness(his right –standing with God) and justifying us (just as if we had not sinned) Jesus rose again from the dead, defeating Satan, breaking Satan’s power over us. Jesus had delivered us from the power, presence and penalty for sin, and had given us Wholeness, Soundness and Prosperity of Spirit, Soul and Body. He has sent His Holy Spirit to abide in us to convict us of sin, comfort and lead us in the way we should go.

We are the apple of God’s eye; we are honourable. We are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus and formed for his glory (Eph 2:10) We are his chosen people, a royal priesthood, a peculiar people, a holy nation(1Peter 2:9), chosen and called by the grace of God to special blessings of grace, with a high, holy, heavenly calling, set apart for himself. He has called us by name and we are his. He has a special interest and concern for us. True believers are precious in God’s sight. We are compared to things of great value, to gold, jewels - His treasure, precious from all eternity (Ex 19:5, 6) though we became dishonourable through the fall ( disobedience of Adam) and our own transgressions and also in the sight of man, yet in the sight of God and Christ we are honourable. His love and delight is in us, above any people. God rests in His love for us. His undeserved grace never changes, His church is his vineyard. For the good of the Church-His people, the affairs of the world shall all be ordered and directed. All things work together for good, as we surrender ourselves to God and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:18) we shall persevere to the end and be brought to glory to which we are called. So God says Fear not and again fear not. Those that have God for them need not fear who or what can be against them.  

God has promised to be with us when we pass through waters and rivers-great difficulties and dangers, fire and flame- afflictions and persecutions from men, temptations of Satan. We shall be delivered. These will not destroy us. Daniel’s three friends were delivered from the fiery furnace, safe untouched not consumed by the fire, with not even the smell of smoke on their garments (Daniel 3). The way of all true believers pass through these waters and lead to eternal glory .Though these difficulties and afflictions might continue for a while, yet they have an end. Though sorrows may last for the night, joy comes in the morning. Having God’s Word to guide us and sufficient strength given us-His strength in our weakness (2Cor 12:9) we can wade through the waters safely, for they do not and shall not overflow us, nor the fire destroy us, so as to cause our faith utterly to fail or to separate us from the love of God or to destroy us, for though they come near us and upon us greatly affecting and distressing us, yet we shall not be hurt, but it would turn to our advantage; for our God is with us, to sympathize ,comfort and revive us, teach and instruct us by our afflictions and to sanctify , support and bear us up under them and deliver us out of them.(Zech 13:9) We are refined and tried as silver and gold, and as we call on the name of The Lord our God, he hears us.(Isaiah48:9-17) (Psalm 66:12) (Psalm116:12) We need not doubt his presence and support amidst our afflictions, we just need to recall all the past experiences of his goodness, to encourage our faith in him. Count our blessings, naming them one by one, if it be possible.    

God promises to be with his ministers, bearing them up under all trials and to stand against all opposition ,so that the Gospel can be preached -the everlasting Gospel, the Gospel of Jesus Christ who died to gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad; for the promise was to all that were afar, even as many as the Lord our God shall call and create, so that the ingathering of God’s elect whether Jews or Gentiles throughout the world –north, south ,east and west ,all whom the Lord had predestined to the adoption of children and taken into the family of God, those who have made a confession of Jesus as Lord of their life, being born -again from above by the Spirit of God, regenerated by his Spirit, made kings and priests unto God, clothed with the robe of righteousness and garments of salvation, having the favour of God’s presence in and near them serving and worshipping him, for God had created us for his glory, to show forth his praise, and therefore He will gather them in and bring them into a body together.       

                

God is with the Church and none that belong to Him shall be lost.