Do not be afraid, for I
have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through
deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you
will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be
burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your
God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
—Isaiah 43:1b-3 (NLT)
You know Him. Trust Him. Do
not fear. You have been bought with the precious price of His life given without
hesitation for you. You, who once faced the terrible result of your sin, no
longer need to dwell in fear of it. Your ransom has been paid. You are no
longer in debt. You are free in His love. Grace has claimed you. So when you go
through turbulent times, you are never alone. He not only is with you. He
carries you, and strengthens you. When life attempts to drown your hope, you
will not drown. He rescues you from the whirlpools of strife that try to pull
your under. When you are thrown into the fires of oppression, you will not be
burned up, but made more resilient. You will be purified by the fire of what is
beyond your control instead of consumed by its heat. Life’s hardships will not
destroy what He has wrought in your life.
This is what is true in
your spirit, but for it to be believed in your mind and trusted in your heart, you
must internalize His Word—His Truth—until it claims your thoughts. His Word is
not just something to be read again and again, and you just hope it claims your
mind and heart. You make a choice to dwell in His Word, and seek His Truth. You
always appreciate what you dig out—not what is just dumped in your lap. For
trust to blossom, you also choose to seek intimacy with Him—to decide to make
the moments of each day His. When you surrender and choose to walk by faith, He
empowers your choice. But, remember, when your resolve is tested, you do not
give up. You hang on for the gold.
Don’t dwell on the
negative of what you have believed. Dwell on what He says is true. Place all
you have to give on that option. Hold nothing back. Keep nothing in reserve.
You no longer go to an Old Testament God on Mount Sinai—one of fire and doom waiting
to punish you for your sin. No! You have been redeemed by His love on Calvary. Your
sin is forgiven, and you are covered by His love. It is accomplished, and what
He has done for you on Calvary can never be taken from you. Grasp this! You now
go to a New Covenant God of grace and love, who reaches to gather you to His
heart. So go to Him. Because you are precious to Him, He honors you, and He
loves you. Trust His heart. He places all His trust in you.
© 2018 Lynn Lacher
www.lynnlacher.com