But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life. Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; I will say to the north, “Give them up,” and to the south, “Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth— everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” (Isaiah 43:1-7, NRSV)
Advent is the season of hope. But for some people, there isn’t a whole lot of hope as we approach Christmas. Christmas is supposed to be a time filled with awe and wonder, joy and love, but looming bills or loved ones passed has a way of bringing darkness where others see only wonder.
But Isaiah tells us that God is with us even in the darkness, in the unknown. God has called each and every one of us by name and has redeemed us. We do not need to fear what is happening in our lives but can walk with God because he has claimed us and named us. We are His and He will never leave us.
Even in the darkness and despair, we find ourselves, God is with us. We are His and He will never let us go.
And we can always find hope in that.
aSacredRebel 