You are Mine

"But now thus says the LORD, He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you....Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you."

--Isaiah 43:1-4

Did you catch all that? Go back and read it again. not only does God tell us that He has called each of us by name, He calls us His own, that we're precious in His sight, honored, and loved. And to prove this to us, He lived and died for us!

However, I think a lot of times we focus on how much God loved (past tense) us. But this is not written in the past tense; it does not have a timeline on it. God says that He loves us, now--this very day! What I love about this passage is that He says "when"-- not "if"-- we go through trials, He will be with us. What a way to prove His love for us each and every day. God has promised us that He will never leave us, nor forsake us--He will never abandon, desert, or give up on us.

God loves each of us in a real, special way, such as a husband would love his wife. He knows all of us, and still desires that intimacy. But He has guaranteed hardship to come in our life. Many times I think that's the most powerful way that He brings me closer to Him, and I'd assume He works the same in each of your lives as well. He allows us to suffer, because we find strength and perfection in His name. And in the midst of all of this, He never leaves our side. He allows us to cling to Him while we walk through the fires and wade through the rivers, because He's right there with us, and so much stronger!

So wherever you are right now in life, take comfort, God is there as well. He has called you, and you belong to Him.

"Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore He exalts Himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him."

--Isaiah 30:18