I loved this reading - so many of my favorite verses are in these chapters! They're verses that I return to over and over again for reassurance, perspective, and hope.
"Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you. I've called your name. You're mine. When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. When you're in rough waters, you will not go down. When you're between a rock and a hard place, it won't be a dead end - Because I am God, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! That's how much you mean to me! That's how much I love you!" (43:2-4)
"Forget about what's happened: don't keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new. I'm bursting out! Don't you see it? There it is! I'm making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands." (43:19)
"O Israel, I'll never forget you. I've wiped the slate of all your wrongdoings. There's nothing left of your sins. Come back to me, come back. I've redeemed you." (44:22)
And there's one verse that gives me hope related to our adoption. (I know it isn't God's promise to me, but it shows God's heart toward those He loves and toward my faraway daughter.)
"Return my sons from distant lands, my daughters from faraway places. I want them back, every last one who bears my name, every man, woman, and child whom I created for my glory, yes, personally formed and made each one." (43:6-7)
After so many chapters of God's judgment, it is a breath of fresh air to get to these chapters of comfort. Because I'm a "glass half-full" kind of girl, it's good for me to hear the reality of the judgment, but I much prefer the comfort in these chapters. Crabb really helped me see the need for both.
"Without My judgment, My comfort means nothing...Notice that the comfort I provide...is not the comfort of empathy or affirmation. It is the comfort of forgiveness rooted in My holy love and of healing available only through My power, the comfort and healing I provide for people ruined by their self-centeredness. The effect of My comfort is to direct your eyes away from your emptiness, not in denial but in hope of eternal fullness, which then releases you to demand nothing from anyone and give everything to everyone. Like My Son." 66 LL
Lord, I love You! Thank You for the reality that I'm forgiven, that You don't keep a list of my sins (43:25), that You've removed my sins from me as far as the east is from the west. (Psalm 103:12) I read Your Word and am overwhelmed by Your love for me and the value You place on this one seemingly insignificant life. My words feel so inadequate for the depth of my emotion toward You, so I'll just echo back Your words - You're first, You're last, and everything in between. You're the only God there is. Who compares with You?!?! (44:6)
No comments:
Post a Comment