It stretches our minds and seems so incredible, yet the Bible insists it is true: the transcendent God who created the universe is deeply concerned about individual persons like you and me. As Isaiah 43 makes clear, our Creator is not only our Redeemer, but our Lover. For too many of us, the wonder has worn off! Biblical faith is more than accepting a set of intellectual principles or abiding by a set of standards for moral conduct. Above all, it is a personal relationship with the God who made us, owns us, and loves us. The chapter begins with God telling Israel not to be afraid, despite her coming exile. Sometimes the trials we face are God’s discipline for our sins, as in the case of Israel. Regardless, with tough love He goes with us through every flood or fire, committed to our preservation and purification. Israel will be driven from her homeland, but God will gather His children from the four points of the compass. Despite their hardships, the living God assures them that they are precious and honored in His sight, and much loved. With striking repetition, the pronouns “I” and “you” emphasize the personal nature of God’s relationship with His people. Beyond what we could ever deserve, His purpose is to bring the glory of His salvation into our own experience (v 1-7). The ultimate reason why God loves us is that we might be His witnesses, showing by our lives and declaring with our lips that He is the all-sufficient Savior. The unbelieving world cannot successfully “witness” to the truth of their idolatry. But God calls us to become living proof that He is the only way to true life and that His purposes will ultimately prevail. It means that God is going to have to do an amazing work in our lives so that we can become the evidence He deserves! But the LORD desires everyone to know and understand that He is the only God there is, the only One who can save: “I am He” (v 8-13). God rules the events of history for our sakes. He will conquer those who proudly conquer His people. The exodus from Egypt was just a sample of what He can do on our behalf, a pattern of how God delivers His people again and again. Since He keeps on caring, we can always be on the lookout for “a new thing” in our journey with Him, so that we might declare His praise (v 14-21). Sadly, we do not always declare God’s praise. Israel had become bored with Him. But the worship He wants from us is genuine, not tedious. We cannot manipulate God or justify ourselves. The only real way to worship the LORD is to confess our sins and receive His forgiveness. But if we persist in our rejection of His grace, we only increase our guilt before Him (v 22-28). For further meditation: