Power and Hope is Found in a Personal, Present God

Fall is my favorite time of the year.  I love the changing colors and dream of being able to spend days upon days in New England soaking up the beauty. I believe pumpkins should cover (and I do mean cover) my front porch, along with a scarecrow or two.  Sweaters come out of storage, apples are covered in caramel, and pumpkin spice is added to my coffee.  Life doesn’t get much better than that.

Oddly, this year, I’m already looking toward to decorating for Christmas.  Traditionally, I would just as soon have Fall last longer, soaking up every moment of God’s majesty on display with complete enchantment.   And though I am enjoying the Autumn hoopla, I just want the year to be over. 

I know that moving from 2021 to 2022 won’t magically change anything, and yet I have some wild-eyed hope festering in the back of my mind.

I recently came across a note I had jotted to myself.  It said, “God sees me/knows me in this moment.” Scribbled next to it was the scripture reference Isaiah 43:1-7.  The phrase “in this moment” struck a chord and I opened my Bible to read the passage in Isaiah. 

Isaiah 43

Isaiah is presenting a message to the people of Israel from God.  Israel has not been living their best life. They went on a sin binge and abandoned their worship of God alone.  They refused to repent, and God chose to discipline them. 

I struggle with the idea of discipline, it’s not my favorite, but God’s discipline is a training ground. God’s discipline is not a punishment; it’s a strategic plan to draw His people back to Himself.  So, God allowed the Assyrians to roll in and conquer. They took control and the Israelites scattered. In Isaiah 43, God is moving to restore Israel. 

“God’s discipline is not a punishment; it’s a strategic plan to draw His people back to Himself.”

Nancy Brewer

Parameters to Understanding Isaiah 43

First, the passage is poetry. Charles L. Aaron says, “Typical of poetry, the passage speaks in art, not in precision.”[i]  These verses weren’t meant to be read literally by the Israelites, nor by us today.  Isaiah is giving imagery that the Israelites would recognize.  They knew about passing through waters like the Dead Sea and passing through rivers like the Jordan.  They knew the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace and how God delivered them.  These pictures remind the Israelites of who God is and all He has done for them.

Second, the passage was written for the nation of Israel, not for individuals.  We aren’t to take each word as written specifically for us.  We can learn from what God was saying to the Israelites: we can learn about who God is, and how God sees those of us who are called by His name.  God is the same yesterday, today and forever, He is constant and unchanging (Micah 3:6; Hebrews 13:8) so how He is in Isaiah 43, is how God is today.

“God is the same yesterday, today and forever, He is constant and unchanging, so how He is in Isaiah 43, is how God is today.”

Nancy Brewer

What Does Isaiah 43 Teach Us About God?

I read through the passage, line by line, and created a list of what I learned about God.  All those years of teaching English and looking for character traits in a story has finally paid off.  Hallelujah. As I looked at my list of sixteen traits of God, I saw two types of characteristics.

First there are those characteristics that define who God is. The first three verses inform us that God is the creator, He has control over nature and/or circumstances, He is Yahweh (the I AM) and He is holy. I’m sure none of those characteristics are surprising to you and I wonder if they make you feel a bit like God is unreachable. That’s how I felt as I typed out the words. He is this person, this Spirit, who is beyond anything we can come close to being or even comprehending.

Second are the characteristics that deal with who He is in relationship to us.  Out of a list of 16 characteristics, 12 of them describe elements of a God who values companionship with His people. Did you catch that?  Twelve out of 16 characteristics are all about how God wants to relate to you and me.  Mind-blown!

God is With Us

I think it was the relational attributes that led me to pen the words “God sees me/knows me in this moment.” Twice in these 7 verses we are told God is with us.  The same God who feels a bit unreachable and is beyond what we can comprehend, chooses to be in the same space, living the same journey we are. We are not alone.

Listen again, now He speaks the words “I love you.” “I love you” are not trite words to this God.  This God ransoms and redeems those who belong to Him. He created us to be a part of, and add to, His glory and majesty.  This God, who is Yahweh, the “self-existent one,” meaning He is totally self-sustaining and self-sufficient, chose to include us.  He doesn’t need us; He wants us, and He goes out of His way to keep us with Him.

I don’t know if you are happily skipping through these Autumn days, or if you are struggling to keep your head above water.  You may be surrounded by friends and family, or feel abandoned, desolate, and alone.  Perhaps life is throwing you a celebratory party or you could have just got sent back to the end of the line . . . again.

I do know “the Lord who created you” is saying, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1) God sees you, and He knows you, in this moment.  Can I hear a Hallelujah?

I’m praying for you.

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[i] Aaron, Charles L., Commentary on Isaiah 43:1-7, workingpreacher.org, January 13, 2019.

New England Fall Photo by Dennis Buchner on Unsplash