You are precious and honored in my sight… I love you. (Isaiah 43:4 NIV)
When I read Isaiah 43, it reads to me like a love song. It’s God speaking to His people during an incredibly difficult time in their nation’s history.
They’d been scattered from their homes. They were taken into captivity, their temple and cities destroyed, and they were no longer under the rule of their own king but now subject to another nation.
In this situation, it could have been easy for the Isrealites to lose their identity. But in Isaiah 43 verses 1 & 4, God speaks specifically to who they are. “You are mine,” He says “You are precious and honored in my sight, and I love you.”
His position toward them did not change because of their circumstances, even though the difficulty they found themselves in was a direct result of their own unfaithfulness (Isaiah 43:24). Yet even in the midst of this, what does God tell them? “I love you…You are mine.”
Often, I connect my behavior with my ability to be loved. I’m easy to love if I do all the right things. If I’m helpful and kind and loving toward others, then I can be loved in return. But when I’m in the midst of my mess…when I’ve yelled at my children, said something I regret to my husband, or turned my heart from God… How can I be loved then?
But God! He is so good! In this passage, God is telling His people, Yes, you screwed up. But I’m not giving up on you. You are still mine.
God didn’t give up on His plan for Israel because of their sin. In fact, not only did He bring them back to the land He promised them, He showed His love for them in an even greater way by sending them the Messiah.
He created a way for them to be set free forever from their sins. And because of this, we, too, are grafted into the story of Israel. We now are “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession… (1 Peter 2:9-10 NIV).
How amazing is God’s love for us?! Cling to it, mama! It will never let you down.
Reflection Questions:
- Do you tend to believe you can only be loved when you’re doing well? When do you think this idea first took root?
- When you look back over your life, can you see the hand of God bringing you out of your own “captivity”?
- How does believing you are honored and loved impact how you view your parenting, marriage, job, etc.?
Amber Krueger is a wife to her husband, Steve, and mom to her two children, Ethan and Stella. She grew up as a missionary kid in the Philippines and has a degree in literature from Bethel University. She writes about food and creative endeavors at By Amber’s Hands and Keto Cake Walk.