Isaiah 43:1-7
1 But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
2 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.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.
4 Because you are precious in my sight,
and honored, and I love you,
I give people in return for you,
nations in exchange for your life.
5 Do not fear, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you;
6 I will say to the north, “Give them up,”
and to the south, “Do not withhold;
bring my sons from far away
and my daughters from the end of the earth—
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
“… 4 Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, …”
These are the words of parents to their children. The preciousness, and respect, and love proclaimed are integral to a familial relationship. Admittedly, not all parent/child encounters fit this pattern. However, the images given provide the ideal.
Of course, while we as human beings seldom live up to the mage presented, God does. In the case of Israel who have been living in exile in Babylon for a generation, these words are especially powerful. After all, they are in Babylon because of their disobedience before God. Yet here, God once again claims them as God’s own, as precious, honored, and loved.
Those same blessings are bestowed upon us daily through the Spirit because of Jesus Christ. His love of us knows no bounds. To our Lord, all people are precious and honored even though we are all sinners. That’s because God sees us as a parent sees their child. While we may err, turn away, ignore, or otherwise turn a deaf ear, God still regards us with love, as a parent does their child. For that, we give thanks and glory to God.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the gift of Your love. Help me this day respond to Your love by recognizing the preciousness in others and loving them as You love me. Amen.