TITLE: NOTHING CANCELS  GOD’S PLANS FOR YOUR LIFE

TITLE: NOTHING CANCELS  GOD’S PLANS FOR YOUR LIFE

SCRIPTURE:

“But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “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; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth— everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”(Isaiah 43:1-7 NIV)

OBSERVATION:

            Have we ever been fearful of what our future may look like?  Israel sure was.  They were in captivity and face so many challenges.  They were unsure of what their future looks like.   They were in captivity because of their disobedience and doing things that seems right in their own eyes.

            God allowed them to be taken into captivity but he still stays with them.  He stays with them not because they were any good, but because He is good.  The word of the Lord came through Isaiah to tell the people of Israel what God said he will do for them.

            First, God said, He who created you, Jacob, He who formed you, Israel, ‘Do not fear.’  The problem of fear strikes at everyone’s heart when they are in a place of uncertainty.  God sees that the Jacob or the people of Israel were fearful of the challenges they are facing.  God reassured the Israelites of who they are to him. 

            Why they shouldn’t fear is because, they belong to God.  God said;

§  I have redeemed you

§  I have summoned you by name

§  You are mine

God sought to remind the Israelites who they are to him.  The second thing,  God reassured them of his presence in the challenges they will face:

§  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

§  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.

It is not a matter of ‘IF’ but ‘WHEN’ they pass through waters, rivers, and fires, they will not be destroyed by them.  We will certainly face challenges in life that could destroy us as well.  However, I am reminded that like the children of Israel, we are his.  He has redeemed us, he has called us by name, and we belong to him.  What an awesome lessons to remember. 

God continued his encouragement to his redeemed ones, saying, Instead of you going through the waters, the rivers, and the fire to be destroyed, I will give other nations in your stead.  God has a plan for my life. I must always trust that and not panic when challenges started to assailed my life.  I must have the confidence in God working on my behalf.

Why would God do all these for his redeemed, called out and his precious ones?  I am thrilled at what God said to his people.  Again not because they are good, but because He is good.  He said; Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.

This is such an amazing assurance of his love for his chosen people.  Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, are words that hardly explain the rebellious people of Israel.  God chooses to love and honor them in spite of what they have done.  It is God’s choice to honor, love, redeemed, summoned, and make them his.  How can that be?  God chose to love Israel in spite of what they have done. 

Moreover, he ensured them saying; “Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth— everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

            God says, I will fulfill my plans for your life Israel.  Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.  Even in the midst of the Israelites ordeal, God is there, present with them in captivity.  The Israelites surely thought that God left them when they went into captivity.  But here, God assured them not to be afraid, because he is with them.  We, too must have that assurance that no matter what we face in life and the future seems uncertain, we must never be afraid, for he is with us all the way.  At the end, God will fulfill his plans for our lives as he did with the Israelites.

APPLICATION:

            I must continue to remind myself that that God is always present and will continue to cover me no matter what challenges I face in life.  I learned today that God is trustworthy and faithful.  He will always abide by me and guide me through challenges in life.  I must not be afraid of whatever challenges that I may face now and the future, for my life belongs to him.

PRAYER:

            Father, thank you for the promise of your presence.  Thank you for reminding me that you love me and honor me and that I am precious in your sight.  Thank you that I can abandoned myself in your grace and faithfulness to see me through all that I will face in life.  I ask that you continue to reveal yourself to me and teach me of your ways.  Thank you for loving and gracing my life with your goodness.  Amen!