Well hey there, hello to ya. Thanks for dropping by the podcast today. It’s a good one, this episode, as we take a look at a promise from the book of Isaiah. What a book - am I right? What. A. Book.
You’re listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show Podcast, part of the Spark Network, playing via the Edifi app. This episode is sponsored by Alexandra Bowman Photography, located in south central Kansas, and a link to see her work is right here in the show notes. This is episode number 176.
Every book a promise.
How many promises are there in the Bible, exactly? I’ve read that there are over 6000. That’s something like one promise a day for 16 plus years. It’s a book of promise, it’s a book of hope, the Bible is living and active, so says Hebrews. And all those promises? They are all yes and amen for those of us who are in Christ. That’s very good news for us today, don’t ya think?
And so this series, looking at a promise from each and every book of the Bible, all 66 of them, from Genesis to Revelation, well, it’s a good series because it’s so filled with the hope of those promises. God’s track record at keeping His promises is perfect, absolutely perfect. Of course it is, seeing as He is perfect. Total perfection, nothing less.
Isaiah, however, is a big, full, rich book. Sixty-six chapters and so many promises, especially once Isaiah turns a corner in chapter 40 and the hope just pours out. If you haven’t read much of the book of Isaiah in a while, you won’t regret diving in and reading, applying to your life, choosing to believe what is says.
I decided that it would be pretty near impossible for me to truly do a good job, or even a moderate job, of touching on the promises in Isaiah in just one single episode. So today I’m going to share a promise from chapter 43, a really amazing promise, and then I am going to have another episode with other promises. Because we need it, right now, in our current day and age. We need to hear God’s promises spoken aloud, we need it. It’s like oxygen - this is not the time to be holding our breath. This is the time to be breathing deeply and getting life from God’s promises.
Isaiah 43, verses 1, 2 and 3.
CSB
Now this is what the LORD says - the one who created you, Jacob, and the one who formed you, Israel - “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and the rivers will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, and the flame will not burn you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, and your Savior.”
Who created and formed Israel? It was the Lord God who created and formed Israel. God was intentional when he formed Israel, when He changed Jacob’s name to Israel, in all His dealings with His chosen people, He has always been intentional. And this understanding of the intentionality of our God reminds us that He is not, nor will He ever be, unintentional with us. He is working in our lives and all around us, and He does so with loving and careful intention.
Your God is intentional. And He is intentional about you.
Do not fear.
These three words are repeated again and again to us all throughout the Bible. And aren’t you glad for that? That the Lord says this to us, for us, again and again and again? I know I am!
God’s call to us to fear not comes with a promise attached. He knows how we are made, that we are but dust is says in the Psalms. And so, He knows what we can and cannot do in our own strength. (Spoiler alert: we can do basically nothing in our own strength and we need Him for every single thing, every single breath, every single moment.) He doesn’t tell us not to be afraid and then leave us with no way of actually not being afraid. He calls us to a life of no fear and then He makes it possible. Do we need faith, do we need to actually believe what the Bible says? Yes. So choose faith, choose belief, choose to obey the Lord on a daily basis. And when you are scared about something, remind yourself, preach to yourself, that God does not want you to be fearful and then pray and ask Him to do what seems like it’s impossible - to truly make you not fearful. He doesn’t say, “Do this,” or “Don’t do that,” and then leave us unable to do or not do said things. Your God is a good God, and your God loves you so very much, and He will enable you, empower you, to not be afraid.
He says here that He redeemed Israel. And in Jesus, we who are not of the nation of Israel are also redeemed. Do we live like we’re redeemed? Are we behaving like a redeemed people? Just food for thought today. God wants us to understand in the deepest recesses of our hearts and minds that we are redeemed…from death, from he
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
Death, Sex & Money
Anna Sale explores the big questions and hard choices that are often left out of polite conversation.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.