Isaiah 43:1-4The Message (MSG)
“But now, God’s Message,
the God who made you in the first place, Jacob,
the One who got you started, Israel:
“Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you.
I’ve called your name. You’re mine.
When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you.
When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you’re between a rock and a hard place,
it won’t be a dead end—
Because I am God, your personal God,
The Holy of Israel, your Savior.
I paid a huge price for you:
all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in!
That’s how much you mean to me!
That’s how much I love you!
I’d sell off the whole world to get you back,
trade the creation just for you.”
Fear penetrates most of my decisions. As a mother, I have learned how to wield fear around like a crazy woman who claims she has precise training that comes with almost twelve years of experience. But the truth is this. The more I allow fear to drive what I choose from the pantry to feed my children for dinner or use fear as my motivation to talk to my child about why he should use his manners in public, the more I dig a hole.
The darker, deeper the hole, the more impenetrable it is to the light. I am deceived when I think that protection is the end goal of this motherhood journey. Protection of myself and how another mom might perceive me. Protection of my children and how the world might speak of them when they leave a room. And, worse. I claim all this fear that drives me is really for our own good. For our own goodness sake.
As mothers, our Father invites us to release fear in exchange for love. He paid a price for us that was never fear driven. His saving us was always love motivated. He exclaims His love for us in His presence, His Holy Spirit ,that came to the earth to dwell with us.
He hears your voice, your plea, to release this great burden. In exchange, we get to relish in is His personal love.
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