The Reason Why (2)
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you.” Isaiah 43:1
The Reason Why (2)
Redeemed – Gealtika. “I have redeemed”, says God. The only reason that I am free of the “thou shalt fear” world is that God rescued me. I need this fact to sink deeply into my soul. Whenever my thoughts and behavior begin to push me back toward the world of fear, I need to shout, “God has redeemed me! Who can overturn the work of the Lord?”
Does this mean that I will not go through trials? Does it mean that I will never suffer? Does it mean that all my efforts will succeed or that I will always be healthy and happy? Absolutely not! To entertain such a view of life is to still reside in the world of fear. Why? Because aspiring for these results is to believe that life is defined by the opposite of fearful consequences. I fear trials so I want a life without them. I fear suffering so I look for a life of ease. I fear failure so I hope for constant success. I fear illness so I project a life of health. I fear unhappiness so I dream of constant ecstasy. When I measure my life by these things, I tacitly endorse the fear-based view of existence. I still define life in terms of fear. I just want to be on the other side of all my fearful projections.
But when I am redeemed, life may come at me as it wills. God is always in control. When I am redeemed, my existence is no longer determined by the condition of my finances, my body, my neighborhood, my work or my external situation. When I am redeemed, I belong exclusively to God. His will for me becomes the source of my joy, my jubilance, my fulfillment and my victory. What happens to me does not matter. I have been freed from it all because He paid for me.
What is the basis of your living? Are you free from the real bondage of fear? Can you stand up and say, “Not my will but yours be done”, knowing that everything is in His hand? Do you measure success in your life by obedience or are you trying to manage the possible consequences of fear through your own efforts?
