But now, this is what the Lord says; “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. Isaiah 43:1, 2

Do not fear…you are mine.  Fear. These magnificent prophecies about the coming of Jesus and all that entails were given when Israel was facing exile, hardship, away from the Temple and the Holy Land, promised to them as of old. Fear reigned. It seemed hopeless. It must have seemed to them that God had forgotten them completely, that the promises of a bright future awaited them were dashed.

The might of Babylon was descending on Jerusalem. The Temple will cease operation. The priestly functions will cease.  Dismay filled the land. Their own rulers could not defend them. They faced doom.

This gives meaning to the word, FEAR. In hours of crisis like that, people remember the days of David and Solomon when Israel was free and prosperous, and God-fearing. What went wrong? Isaiah did not dwell on the past but did remind the Jews that they had sinned. That is why the nation fell into chaos. They were encouraged to repent as some, like Isaiah himself must have done.  Repent and look forward.

So they are told not to fear.  That sounds strange, because fear gripped the entire land. How could they stop fearing?  Every event increased their fear.

The answer to fear is to remember what is in fact happening from God’s point of view.  He loved his people and will always do so. But they had turned their backs on God. So the Word of God comes through the Prophet, “I have summoned (called) you by name; you are mine.”  He knows our names, individually. He cares. He has a plan for us.

Then, as now, in the face of threats of terror we need to look, not on the terrorists, but to God.  God loves us with an eternal love. That truth is as sure as God himself is sure.  We need to learn to turn to our loving God, not to fear because the clouds are gathering.

Sure, roaring rivers threaten to sweep us away, blazing fire surrounds us seeking our destruction. Because of God’s protective love we will not be drowned nor burned. Let us stand with all saints through the ages, trusting God who loves us beyond our ability to tell.