We read in Isaiah 43:1, “Israel, the LORD who created you says, "Do not be afraid---I will save you. I have called you by name---you are mine.” (GNB)
God’s word in the above mentioned verse is directed towards Jacob or Israel because the promise of God is directed towards His children, who believed on His word. The first word of encouragement that proceeds from the Lord is, ‘Do not be afraid’ because He is the one who created us. There are so many issues that we encounter daily pertaining to our circumstances, family, children, work, health or our future and it to such ones that the word of the Lord comes as a great assurance, and comfort exhorting us to not be fearful. If we have placed our trust in the God, who is the creator of heaven and earth, the one who marvelously created us, there is no room or need for fear in our lives.
Secondly, the Lord reassures us that He will save or redeem us. If you are wondering how this was made possible, it was because of the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus, when He died on the cross and shed His precious blood for each one of us for our sins. God created man in perfection, but when man chose to disobey God, and sinned against Him, he became a slave to Satan. In order for man to be set free from the bondage of sin and Satan, God sent His only begotten Son into the world, to redeem us with His sinless blood. This implies that Satan has no more power or dominion over our lives, and we can live a life of total victory.
Thirdly, God has called each one of us by name, and to some who are reason rationally with their limited human mind, this may seem impossible. However, we read in Psalms 147:4, He counts the stars and calls them all by name. (NLT) Even today scientists are in awe when they discover a new star or asteroid in space, but we have such an awesome God, who not only has counted all the stars, but has also called each of them by name. If He knows the millions of stars by name, how much more will He not know by name those whom He has created, who belong to Him?
The Lord goes on further to say in Isaiah 43:2, “When you pass through deep waters, I will be with you; your troubles will not overwhelm you. When you pass through fire, you will not be burnt, the hard trials that come will not hurt you.” (GNB)
Just because we are created, redeemed and called by name, it does not mean that our life will be free from struggles. The comfort we receive from the Lord is that when we pass through flood like situations, we will not be overwhelmed by them. The Israelites encountered the Jordan River when it was in full deluge, but the Lord parted the Jordan, to make them realize that He could make a way through that overflowing river. These incidents of the crossing of the Red Sea and the Jordan are mentioned in the bible so that we too will be encouraged to know that when these kind of situations overtake us, the Lord stands by to assure us that we need not fear, for He has promised to be with us and make a way for us. We may even go through furnace like difficulties, but none of it will quench us for the Lord will be with us, and give us victory over every one of these hardships. In order to experience the victory we do not have to wait till we get to heaven, for the Lord has promised to make us triumphant right here on earth. The thought that should be topmost on our mind, is not for our life to end on earth so we can go to heaven, but rather that the Lord should fulfill His purposes in our life while we remain here in this world.
God called Abraham by name
We read in Genesis 22:11, But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, "Abraham, Abraham!" He answered, "Yes, here I am." (GNB)
Also in Genesis 22:17, “I promise that I will give you as many descendants as there are stars in the sky or grains of sand along the seashore. Your descendants will conquer their enemies.” (GNB)
God called Abraham by name for a purpose to bless him, make his descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky or grains of sand along he seashore. He also assured him that his descendants would conquer their enemies.
The purpose of God calling us is that He should raise us up, give us victory, give us increase and make us a blessing, so that He can perform His mighty acts in and through us. God has called each one of us by name not to live defeated lives, but to stand forth triumphant over every situation irrespective of how arduous it may seem.
How was Abraham’s life before God called him?
We read in Joshua 24:2, Joshua said to all the people, "This is what the LORD God of Israel says: Long ago your ancestors, Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor, lived on the other side of the Euphrates River and served other gods. (GW)
Abraham and his father Terah did not know God, but was serving other gods when they were on the other side of the Euphrates River.
We also read in Jeremiah 16:20, “Can people make their own gods? No, if they did, those would not really be gods." (GNB)
Since Abraham did not know the one true and living God before he was called, he and his family made for themselves their own gods, which were not really gods.
Even those of us who are children of God, who have come to know the one true God, we still make idols for ourselves. For some people they are a god to themselves, to others it is their belly, to some others it’s money, and for some others their self is their god.
We read in Exodus 32:23, They said to me, ‘Make us gods who will lead us (NLT)
Though God led the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt with His powerful hand, led them through the Red Sea and was guiding them through the wilderness, yet they sought to make gods which they thought could lead them on. This serves as a warning to us, that we too having begun this journey of faith with God, having experienced all His wonders, can be in danger of letting other so called gods lead us in our lives.
We all want to be blessed like Abraham, but in order for that to happen we must implicitly obey God like Abraham did with no place for self, sin or lust.
While the people of Israel had made the golden calf and were worshipping it and indulging in revelry, Moses was up in the mountain in the very presence of God and here are the words of God to Moses. In Exodus 32:7, And the LORD said to Moses, "Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. (ESV)
God was so indignant, for the people whom He had so graciously and wonderfully led out of the cruel hands of Pharaoh, and the Egyptians, who were now giving glory to an animal that they had crafted with their hands. God disowned them, refused to call them his own, and told Moses that they were now Moses’ people whom he had brought out of Egypt, in that they had corrupted themselves. Whenever man begins to worship the idols that he had made with his own hands, and forgets the true and living God, he becomes corrupt or marred.
The Hebrew word for corrupt, actually means that they have marred the image of God that was given to them. We were made in the image and likeness of God, with the one intention that we should serve and worship the true and living God. In order to maintain that image of God, we must keep on worshipping the only true God. Let us never worship any image that is made with the hands of man. So also we must never allow our self or ego to become the god of our lives for that was what made Lucifer fall from the very presence of the Almighty God.
We read in Psalms 106:20, “they exchanged the glory of God for the image of an animal that eats grass.” (GNB)
The reason God called Abraham
We read in Joshua 24:3, “Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him through all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac.” (NASB)
When God called Abraham, He led him through all the land of Canaan. Secondly, he multiplied his descendants and thirdly He gave him Isaac.
• God led Abraham through the land of Canaan
Abraham was living in his own place, among his own people, with his own traditions and beliefs but God had to call him, and set him apart for Himself. Abraham was a wealthy man, but he willingly left all that he had, and was obedient to God to take on the life of a nomad. God had to bring Abraham to a place where God became supreme person in his life.
The first thing God does when He calls us is to set us apart to be a people who are His own. If we want to have the blessings of God, we too must voluntarily let go of all those things that God wants us to leave behind. If given a choice between God and relationships, sadly many people prioritize their earthly relationships over God. To many people the ones they are closely associated with are the main hindrance to them receiving the blessings of God in their lives.
God led Abraham all throughout the land of Canaan for a reason. We read in Genesis 13:17 "Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you." (NASB)
God told Abraham that as he walked through the length and breadth of the land of Canaan all of it would belong to him. The walk of Abraham was to signify faith and obedience to God. God fulfilled this promise to Abraham after Lot left him, and they parted ways. While Abraham went on with God till the very end, Lot parted when he began to receive the earthly blessings of increase in his herds.
This is the walk of faith and obedience that God is calling us to. If we recall the miracle of wine at the marriage of Cana, when the servants were asked to fill the jars with water, they filled it to the brim though they were not instructed to do so. The men filled the six water pots to the brim and the Lord Jesus turned all of it to wine. We too are called to venture out in faith to do great things for the Lord, and be reminded that when we do so we will be the primary beneficiaries of God’s blessings. It is important that when there are ungodly associations, we should not hesitate to sever them for only then we will receive the blessings of God. All our friendships must be those will honor the Lord.
• God multiplied his descendants
When God called Abraham, he did not even have a child, but by his obedience to leave it all and follow after God, he was blessed with Isaac, though he and Sarah had no hope of ever having a child of their own.
If we have faith in God, and truly worship Him, we will experience a supernatural increase in our lives. The early church were so focused on God, and the Lord was adding to the church daily those who were being saved.
We read in Psalms 115:13-14, “He will bless those who fear the LORD, both the small and the great. May the LORD give you increase, you and your children!” (ESV)
For those who fear the Lord be they small or great the Lord promises to bless them. Not only that, but He also promises to give increase to them, and to their children. When we decide to follow the Lord, and take the step of faith, things may seem contrary, people may speak words of doubt to our situations, but the Lord is able to do the miraculous in our lives and prove all men to be liars. God will raise up His children, in the very eyes of those who looked down on them, and treated them with disdain.
• God gave Abraham his son Isaac
The name Isaac meant ‘laughter.’ If Abraham and Isaac had children in a normal way like every other person, they may have been happy, but by God doing the impossible in their lives and giving them Isaac, their joy knew no bounds. Initially Sarah did not believe, but God filled her mouth with heartfelt laughter.
Our laughter must not find its source in entertainment channels, but our joy and laughter must come from God for His wondrous works that He performs in our lives. God laughs at those who come against the people of God. All the works of God will bring into our lives untold joy, and gladness.
If we go on this journey of faith, living in obedience to the word of God, the Lord will lead us throughout our lives journey. In the midst of all the trials and turmoil that come our way, the Lord will bring us forth victorious for greater is He who is in us than He who is in the world. God has called us to bless us, increase us, and make us a great blessing to those around us. May the Lord fulfill His purposes in and though our lives, and may we never falter in our faith or obedience to God.
Rev. F. Andrew Dixon
www.goodnewsfriends.net
Transcribed by : Sis. Esther Collins
