December 7, 2025
Created for
Salvation
"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. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One
of Israel, your Savior.'"
I S A I A H 4 3 : 1 - 3 A
Fear God and don’t be afraid are two of the most common
refrains in Scripture. Which is it? Does God want you to fear him,
or does he want to take away your fear? The answer is God wants
us, who are burdened with so many fears, to fear him alone, so
that he may take even that final fear away.
Notice what Isaiah says between the words “Now thus says
the Lord” and “Fear not.” It’s not just any God speaking to you.
It’s the God who created you. The God who formed you. This
means you are not an accident; you were deliberate. To be made
on purpose is to be made with purpose. That purpose is to belong
to God.
The truth is, we are all runaways that God has pursued in
Christ.
The incarnation is God refusing to let what he has created live apart from him.
It is God running to the runaway. He
has called us by name and declared that despite all our running,
we belong to him. God looks at every rebellious child and says,
“mine.” The God who walks on water says, “Fear not the river, I
will be with you.” The God who has conquered Hell says, “Fear
not the flame, I am your Savior.”
God has wanted you from the beginning. You were created
and formed for salvation, not fear. To be saved by God is to be
rescued from sin, death, the devil, and fear. To be redeemed is to
be brought back to the home our first parents ran away from so
long ago, and to discover we always belonged with God.
HEAVENLY FATHER, ROOT MY IDENTITY IN BELONGING TO
YOU AND QUICKLY PURSUE ME WHEN I
WANDER AWAY. AMEN.
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Coming Home for Christmas: Advent in Isaiah © 2025 1517
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