Fear not

Isaiah 43:1

“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.“

There are occasions when we doubt whether or not we are cut out for the duties we’ve been called upon to carry out. Some days are a struggle. Things don’t work out they way they should, people find fault with us, we fall short of aims and goals. Fear and anxiety can creep in and we begin to question our own aptitude. And we also question whether or not God had got it right when he chose us for a particular mission or purpose. We find ourselves asking, “Why, Lord, did you pick me for this assignment; I’m woeful at this.” But of course, our Lord doesn’t get things wrong.

That was me today; but then I read this passage from Isaiah and it really helped me fight back the self-doubt. God created me and he formed me for a purpose and a mission, to carry out his holy will. And it’s the same for all of us who have been called to follow him. God has redeemed us, called us by name. We belong to him. And this means that whatever it is he has called us to do is something that he knows we can carry out. He gives us the work because he has made us in order to be able to do the work. It doesn’t mean that it’s all going to be easy, but it does mean that we shouldn’t be afraid of not coming up to the mark or accomplishing what he wants us to do.

The answer lies in the word “redeemed.” It’s a beautiful word. In the Bible, redemption means to restore, and in this case it’s the restoration of the people of Israel to their rightful place, and that place is with God. To be redeemed means to be liberated from a situation of bondage or distress. God has done this for us and this is why he tells us to not be afraid. We haven’t redeemed ourselves; we are nothing without God. So if we are working to do God’s will, there’s no need to worry about whether we’re good enough for the job. God has redeemed us and made us to be what he wants us to be in the world.