“Fear not for I have redeemed you. I have called you by your name. You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God…Since you were precious in my sight, You have been honored and I have loved you.” Isaiah 43:1-4
Redeemed. Saved. Forgiven. What beautiful words! Of all the miracles the Lord has performed in my life, forgiveness is the greatest. Redeemed. Because of His love for me, I am forgiven of ALL my sins. Not just the “little” ones, but the “big” ones, too. That’s amazing! What’s more amazing is that He has already forgiven me for everything I have done and will do. I need only to receive it. The scripture reads “I HAVE redeemed you,” not I will redeem you.
I think sometimes when we read scriptures like the one above (which, by the way, is one of my favorites!), we think of the waters and rivers and fire as problems and complications that come into our lives. That’s true. God is with us through our times of despair and sickness and trouble. But, I think those waters and rivers and fire are also the times in our lives when we make wrong decisions. When we make a choice that isn’t what the Lord would have us make, He doesn’t abandon us. He doesn’t agree with our choice, and He will open up windows and doors of truth to reveal our wrong-doing and poor decisions. But, I don’t think He says to us “That’s it. You messed up again. I will just wait right here and let you fall on your face alone. Don’t expect me to be there to pick you up out of the mud when you fall in.” No. He loves us and wants to be there for us when we acknowledge our sin and receive His forgiveness. It is possible to run from God, but He will never run from us.
God has forgiven you, just as I know He has forgiven me. We ask God all the time to perform miracles in our lives. Don’t pass up the most wonderful miracle of all – the miracle of forgiveness. Christ died to give you that miracle. He loves you so much that He is right here beside you, offering you the beautiful gift of His blood and broken body. You are precious in His sight and He is calling you by name. Will you answer?
