Have you ever been afraid of something? Maybe as a little kid, you were afraid of the dark. And that fear kept you from doing certain things. Fear of the dark would keep you from exploring your dark basement, or even from going to bed at night.
Fear can keep us from God too. Perhaps we haven’t experienced His true nature, and so we fear Him and avoid Him. But God tells us in today’s verse to not fear. We don’t have to be afraid of God. He loves us and redeemed us.
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. – Isaiah 43:1 (NIV)
When something is redeemed, it’s been bought back. Often it’s for a high price. And that’s what God did for us. He redeemed us. He bought us back. And because of that, we don’t have to walk in fear toward God. God loves us and paid the price for us to know Him in a real and deep way.
So today, think about this verse. Realize that you’re created, formed, and redeemed. That means to God, you’re valuable!