You are Mine

2 When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.

State: Notice the word “when” not if

State: Verse 1 gives important information that needs to be accepted and believed before verse 2 can be endured

Isaiah 43:1 (NLT)

1 But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.

State: You as an individual believer have been called/chosen, by name. Just as Israel has been

God said about Israel......

Exodus 19:4–6 (NLT)

5 Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. 6 And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.’ This is the message you must give to the people of Israel.”

State: Listen to what God says about the saints who come to Him through Christ

Revelation 5:10 NLT

10 And you have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God. And they will reign on the earth.”

State: Just like Israel, you have been chosen

Here is what being chosen looked like for the Israelites

Instead of thinking of Israel - think of yourself

Deuteronomy 7:6–8 NLT

6 For you are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure. 7 “The Lord did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! 8 Rather, it was simply that the Lord loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the Lord rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.

State: God chose you because he loved you - just like Israel

God rescues you because he loves you - Just like Israel

You have been grafted into the promises and purposes of Israel

Israel was created to be a people through which God displayed himself to the world and brought the messiah

HOW? - Through living in a different way

Micah 6:8 NLT

8 No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

or as Jesus put it

Mark 12:30–31 NLT

30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ 31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

You were divinely created, formed and called (therefore equipped) to do this

If God created you- you are important in the scheme of things

Proof - look at nature which we know God created and formed

Everything organism/animal/plant has its purpose

Everything is exquisitely interdependent

You may not even know what the specific purpose is or if you are doing it -

That does not matter

Does the bee know that they are pollinating plants when they are collecting nectur?

Does a lion know that he is keeping the population balance when they kill their prey

Do bats know by eating mosquitoes they are controlling the balance of mosquitoes

We do not always need to know how our life is fulfilling the purpose for which we were called

Your life and the simple way you live it may be your unique way of fulfilling the purpose

State: Isaiah 43:1

Isaiah 43:1 NLT

1 But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.

State: We need to be firm in our belief that this is true

Because verse 2 and 3 will require it

State: Has verse 1 made you feel special, blessed, purposeful

Good because here comes the rest of the story

Isaiah 43:2–3 (NLT)

State: God will be with us

What are the benefits and advantages of that reality?

Reassurance ( The action of removing someone’s doubts and fears

State: This is what God said to Joshua

Joshua 1:9 NLT

9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

State: Wouldn’t you love God to say that to you

Hebrews 13:5 (NLT)

For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

Matthew 28:20 (NIV)

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Encouragement ( the act of giving someone hope, support)

Romans 8:28–34 (NLT)

28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him.

And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself.

And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. 31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?

32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself.

34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.