ESOCS Devotional 26 March 2023
TEXT: ISAIAH 43: 1-12
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.
2 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.
3 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.
4 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.
5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;
6 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;
7 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.
8 Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.
9 Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth.
10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
11 I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.
12 I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God.
MEMORY VERSE: “Now this is what the Lord says- the One who created you, Jacob, and the One who formed you, Israel- “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.” Isaiah 43:1 HCSB
Despite Israel’s unbelief and apostasy God has never forsaken His people, but this promise to the Jewish nation is equally relevant to Church age believers, for we too have been created by the Lord. We are a new creation in Christ, children of God, members of Christ’s Body, and ambassadors of heaven. These words of comfort, spoken by God to the nation of Israel, can equally be applied to Christians today: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.”
It is said throughout the Scripture that the phrase “fear not” appears 366 times – one for each day of the year and one for the leap year but whenever God sees fit to repeat the words “fear not” so frequently, should we not pay heed to His command? We are not to fear, for though we were dead in our sins and eternally separated from the Lord, He has redeemed us with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. WE have been bought with a price, and the required redemption price for our souls was the life of Christ, poured out for us at Calvary by our Kinsman-Redeemer – and the price has been paid in FULL.
It is said in Scripture that God knows every star by name, but we are His children and the sheep of His pasture. He bought us with a price, so God can rightfully declare, “You are MINE.” Indeed, He not only knows us each by name, but He also calls us by name, for He is the Good Shepherd of the sheep who gave His life for His little flock. He knew us before we were born and scheduled each day of our lives. He knows the number of hairs on our head and collects our tears in a bottle.
Let us not only read these words of comfort but let us meditate on them and wholeheartedly believe them, for the One Who created us in Christ Jesus has also said: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.”
- Are you afraid of the uncertainties of life?
- Loving Shepherd of the sheep, thank You that You have redeemed me, called me by name, and I am now Yours, by grace through faith in Jesus’ name, AMEN.
FURTHER READING: Exodus 35:30-36; Mark 1: 1 – 13; Luke 16:19-31
Read Yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
Thank you for reading the ESOCS Devotional today. Please share and follow us on all our platforms to contribute to the spread of the Gospel.
ESOCS Devotional 26 March 2023
