But now, this is what the Lord says, he who created you…who formed you, 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.

For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.  Isaiah 43:1 – 3

Hear the voice of the Lord.  I created you.  I do not ponder that indisputable fact enough. It is the basis of my walk with God.  When hard times come we find inestimable comfort in knowing that not only are we created by the Lord, we are saved by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and are now the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.

Hear again the voice of the Lord.  I have redeemed you. When we encounter trouble, remember how we are loved by God himself. We who were slaves of the enemy of God have been redeemed, set free, by the Blood of the Lamb.  The Lord paid the full price of our redemption and now we are free to live in him and for him.

Hear again the voice of the Lord. I know your name. He formed us, he knows our names, each one of us redeemed ones, and above all we are not our own but we are the Lord’s possession, the Lord’s own land.

With all these blessings in mind we walk into the future knowing that our Lord Jesus is the Victor.  I note that we are not promised a problem free life, not at all.  We will all encounter floods of water that want to overpower us, and blazing hot fire that threatens to destroy us. We are not promised a care-free life.  In fact the only way we can live is by the power of the Lord Jesus in us.

I quote a Wesley’s hymn. “He rises who mankind has bought with grief and pain extreme, ‘Twas great to speak a world from nought, ‘Twas greater to redeem.”

So, as Lent proceeds, may we embrace the truth of God’s promise.  For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.  Do not fear. 

God created me. God redeemed me.  God knows me far better than I know myself. God.  God promises to be with me as I pass through water and fire.  I renew my commitment to follow Him all the days of my life and know that I am his forever.