Read: Isaiah 43:1-7
I have called you by name, you are mine. (v. 1)
“You are mine” are strong words of belonging. Children cry, “Mine!” when a toy is taken from them. They want it back especially when it’s theirs. God’s people had a history of straying from him. God wanted them back. He says, “You are mine.”
God wanted them back because he created them and formed them as his people. He told them that they are his and he will be their God (Exod. 6:7). He delivered them from bondage, redeeming them as his own.
In our passage today, Isaiah proclaims God’s words of assurance to his people. He tells them not to fear. He calls them by name, demonstrating that he values them and knows them intimately because they belong to him.
We belong to God. He knows each of us intimately. He tells us not to fear, for he has redeemed us by the blood of his Son who died on the cross for us. And he says to each of us, “You are mine.” These three words bring comfort and assurance. They are powerful words of love. And because we belong to God, his presence is with us even in the great trials in our lives.
Today, may you know that no matter what is going on in your life, you belong to God. And if you have strayed from him, he wants you back. He says to you, “You are mine.” —Nancy Boote
As you pray say, Father, I belong to you.
About the Author
Nancy Boote, an ordained minister in the Reformed Church of America, lives in Holland, Michigan, with her husband.
