True Love

But now, this is what the LORD says- 

he who created you, O Jacob,

he who formed you, O Israel;

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers,

they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire,

you will not be burned;

the flames will not set you ablaze.

For I am the LORD, your God,

the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

I give Egypt for your ransom, 

Cush and Seba in your stead.

Since you are precious and honored in my sight,

and because I love you,

I will give men in exchange for you,

and people in exchange for your life.

Do not be afraid, for I am with you;

I will bring your children from the east

and gather you from the west.

I will say to the north, 'Give them up!'

and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.'

Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends 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

I don't really think I could possibly add to the richness and beauty of this text. It is the most beautiful love song, the most beautiful love poem that's ever been written. And it is addressed from the God of the heavens and the earth to His chosen people Israel: you and me. 

Since today is notably acclaimed to be the day of love, Valentine's Day, I wanted to meditate on what God's love for us looks like. According to the above text, if God were to shower down on us little candy hearts, they would say such things as 'you are mine', 'precious', 'honored', 'I love you', 'I'm with you', 'My glory'. 

The most amazing thing is that God really does speak to us like that every day, not just on the 14th of February. It may be through other's words and actions, seeing His beautiful creation when we wake up, experiencing the abundance of His favor and protection, or His strong, peaceful voice that we hear when we slow down to listen. He really loves us.

Read these verses a few times; let them soak into your spirit. Because God cannot lie and everything He speaks is truth (Hebrews 6:18), we can know and trust them to be true. And remember, the thing about truth is that it can never change. No matter how we're feeling or what's happening around us, it's real and it stands, never to be shaken, never to be skewed. So, delight in this love; for we are part of God's great nation Israel, and we are His.