New Year, New Hope

Today’s reading: Isaiah 43:1-28

With this year being a Leap Year, the last day of the year is a flex day for the One Year Bible reading plan. One of the passages I try to go to at the end of each year is Isaiah 43. The context is dealing with the Israelites being in Babylon (as captives), but promised that they still had a hopeful future.

The captivity of the Israelites was self-imposed. They did not “call upon” God, instead they were “weary” of their Creator (verse 22). Have you ever gotten so off track that you felt this way? You may have seen your Christian faith as a burden instead of a blessing (and privilege).

In this chapter, God declares truth over the Israelites’ true identity. And though this wasn't originally written to us, it is definitely still written for us.

I thought it might be helpful to list some of these truths in Isaiah 43:

• “Fear not, for I have redeemed you.” (verse 1)

• “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” (verse 2)

• “You are precious in My eyes, and honored, and I love you.” (verse 4)

• “Fear not, I am with you.” (verse 5)

• “Whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” (verse 7)

• “You are my witnesses.” (verse 10)

• “You are my servant whom I have chosen.” (verse 10)

• “Remember not the former things.” (verse 18)

• “I am doing a new thing.” (verse 19)

• “The people I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.” (verse 21)

• “I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” (verse 25)

May we take all of these truths with us into 2021, ready for whatever God has ready for us. Will we go through difficulty? Yes. Will it overtake us? No. We are more than conquerors (Romans 8:1).