His Treasured Possession

"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."  Isaiah 43:2

When I first read these words during a Bible study, they were meant to give comfort.  The intent was to give us confidence in our God.  Instead, it scared me to death.  The only words I picked up on were flooding waters and something about me catching on fire.  I didn't want to go through water or fire, regardless of who was going to be with me.  I didn't find the love of God in these words at that time and I never made it to verse 4 which says, "Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you".  I had missed out on those words, and therefore, missed out on a beautiful thing.


In that same Bible study, we were asked a few questions about our faith.  I was checking 9's and 10's (ten being the highest) and I seriously chuckle at that now!  I finished my questions and felt confused.  Why in the world were my questions of faith getting such high scores, but my everyday life was so different?  And why in the world had one scripture that was suppose to bring comfort, bring me to the point of needing a brown paper bag?  It was because I knew the "right" answers, but His love and His Word had not consumed my heart yet. They had not become my reality.  I had not been through those waters or that fire that would reveal His love for me.

As long as we live on earth, we will have our fair share of problems.  Remember, we are at war here; this is not our home.  It sounds crazy, but there are spiritual battles fought everyday for our souls. This world is not His perfect plan. Not only did God know this, Christ prays for us and our faith...

"They are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one".  John 17:14-15

"I have prayed for you Simon, that your faith may not fail."  Luke 22:32

"Jesus is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."  Hebrews 7:25


His love for us never fails; from the beginning He has always been driven by His love for us.  Ephesians 1 tells us that in love He chose us before the creation of the world to one day say yes to Him and His salvation; to make us His sons and daughters. In this chapter of Ephesians you will hear words and phrases such as predestined, His good pleasure, glorious grace, the riches of His grace, lavishing grace, purposed and God's possession.  All of these things are pertaining to us!! And He says this about us with all wisdom and understanding (Ephesians 1:8); knowing who we are and what we are not.

God does not choose us or set His affections on us because we are great.  He does it because He truly loves us.  "He is the faithful God, keeping his covenant (promise) of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments".  (Deuteronomy 7:7-9) Did you catch that?  A covenant of love...!

I have wondered why its so hard to truly believe in this love.  Maybe because of this botched up world that we live in where things happen that just don't make sense. Maybe it's because we don't like certain things about ourselves or let's be honest....sometimes we just don't like other people. So believing in this crazy love from an invisible God seems well, crazy.  But "{Jesus Christ} is the image of the invisible God...and in him all things hold together", including our faith. (Colossians 1:15,17)  Jesus is our image of God and He is the Word made flesh.  So to begin to know Him and this love, we have to begin to know His Word; it is here we will find the heart of God.

So this is my prayer for you and me...
"I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all of the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God".  (Ephesians 3:17-19) and "be confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion". (Philippians 1:6)  Just start...He is faithful and He is waiting on you!