he who created you, Ya‘akov,
he who formed you, Isra’el:
“Don’t be afraid, for I have redeemed you;
I am calling you by your name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through water, I will be with you;
when you pass through rivers, they will not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire, you will not be scorched —
the flame will not burn you.
3 For I am Adonai, your God,
the Holy One of Isra’el, your Savior —
I have given Egypt as your ransom,
Ethiopia and S’va for you.
4 Because I regard you as valued and honored,
and because I love you.
For you I will give people,
nations in exchange for your life.
5 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
I will bring your descendants from the east,
and I will gather you from the west;
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
and to the south, ‘Don’t hold them back!
Bring my sons from far away,
and my daughters from the ends of the earth,
7 everyone who bears my name,
whom I created for my glory —
I formed him, yes, I made him.’”
8 Bring forward the people who are blind but have eyes,
also the deaf who have ears.
9 All the nations are gathered together,
and the peoples are assembled.
Who among them can proclaim this
and reveal what happened in the past?
Let them bring their witnesses to justify themselves,
so that others, on hearing, can say, “That’s true.”
10 “You are my witnesses,” says Adonai,
“and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you can know and trust me
and understand that I am he —
no god was produced before me,
nor will any be after me.
11 I, yes I, am Adonai;
besides me there is no deliverer.
12 I have declared, saved and proclaimed —
not some alien god among you.
Therefore you are my witnesses,”
says Adonai. “I am God.
13 Since days began, I have been he.
No one can deliver from my hand.
When I act, who can reverse it?”
RG AUDIO 070615
"Chaotic Waters" by Author: Paul Sheneman
I can remember the fear I felt standing on the edge of the river bank preparing to brave the chaotic flood waters in a canoe. New to canoeing I believed my emerging skill and the help of my friend would be enough to conquer the unknown. However, my fear was quickly affirmed as fierce torrents suddenly appeared and swept us into uncontrollable pitches sending us overboard.
The same type of fear grips me when I think about the prejudices hidden in my heart. These prejudices are like the unknown torrents in the river. Once they emerge, they can seize me and throw me into a way of acting that grieves the heart of the One who has redeemed and called me by name.
Isaiah encourages us to not fear as we wade into the life giving waters of the Christian faith. The basis of our confidence is unlike my naïve faith in my canoeing abilities. We gain confidence by remembering that God’s redeeming work is already beginning. We can trust God to be with us, protect us, and transform us. It is in this confidence that we can cry out, "Create in me a pure heart, O God" [Psalm 51:10].
Hymn for Today: "O for a Heart to Praise my God" by Charles Wesley
1. O for a heart to praise my God,
A heart from sin set free,
A heart that always feels Thy blood
So freely shed for me.
2. A heart in every thought renewed
And full of love divine;
Perfect and right and pure and good,
A copy, Lord, of Thine!
3. Thy nature, gracious Lord, impart;
Come quickly from above,
Write Thy new name upon my heart,
Thy new, best name of Love.
Thought for today:
"There is no fear in love. On the contrary, love that has achieved its goal gets rid of fear, because fear has to do with punishment; the person who keeps fearing has not been brought to maturity in regard to love."[1 John 4:18]
Please pray:
For faculty and students as they prepare for Christian ministry in Kenya.
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For faculty and students as they prepare for Christian ministry in Kenya.
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