Child of God, your afflictions in this world may be many, heavy, and long, but they will never destroy, or even harm you. Therefore the Lord your God says, "Fear not." Then he gives you these ten, blessed promises to silence your fears.
1. "I have redeemed thee!" Christ has redeemed you by the price of his blood and the power of his grace. If he has redeemed you, nothing and no one can harm you.
2. "I have called thee by thy name!" All whom he has redeemed are called, called with an effectual, irresistible, personal call. This is efficacious grace!
3. "Thou art mine!" What a blessed word of grace! You belong to God as his peculiar possession, his new creation. That means you are under his protection and provision.
4. "I will be with thee!" Wherever God by his providence puts you, he will be with you in sympathy and in power to take care of you.
5. "I am the LORD thy God, the holy One of Israel!" The almighty God, the holy One, who is always faithful and true, is as much your property as you are his property, because he has given himself to you.
6. "I am thy Savior!" When he says, "I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee," our Lord is saying, "I have bought you at such a price that I cannot afford to lose you."
7. "Thou art Precious in my sight!" You are God's treasure, his jewel. Though despised by men, if you are a believer, you are precious to God!
8. "Thou hast been honorable!" You are not honorable by nature, nor by any of your deeds, but God by his grace has made you honorable. He has washed away your sin by the blood of Christ and robed you with his perfect righteousness.
9. "I have loved thee!" Let men talk all they please about a useless, universal love, this is special love! God so loves his own elect that he will sacrifice men and nations for them!
10. "I have created (you) for my glory!" The very glory of the triune God is wrapped up in the salvation of his people.He will either save everyone of the chosen seed, all who are called by his name, and save them from all evil, or he will lose his glory; and that cannot be!
*