“But now, listen to me, Jacob, my servant, Israel my chosen one. The Lord who made you and helps you says; ‘Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant, O dear Israel, my chosen one. For I will pour out water to quench your thirst and to irrigate your parched fields. And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessings on your children. They will thrive like watered grass, like willows on a riverbank. Some will proudly claim, ‘I belong to the Lord.’ Others will say, ‘I am a descendent of Jacob.’ Some will write the Lord’s name on their hands and will take the name of Israel as their own.”
Isaiah 44:1-5
Almost all my life, I have struggled with insecurity. It’s something that unfortunately permeates my relationships and my decision-making processes. I’m constantly wondering if I am good enough, and I allow the fear of rejection to stop me from living the life that God has created me to live.
I know that most of my feelings of rejection stem from my relationship with my father. I was in third grade when my parents divorced; it was not an easy transition. In my child’s mind, I could not understand why my dad would leave his family for another one. What was wrong with us? Were we not good enough? Did we do something wrong? Was I unlovable? I felt hurt and rejected.
I would love to say that those feelings eventually went away or that I made peace in my relationship with my father, but that’s not the truth. The truth is that I still struggle daily, but I have a God that loves me enough to remind me in His word that I am CHOSEN.
Every time I read this passage in Isaiah, it puts a smile on my face and gives me a little heart tingle. I love hearing that because I have been CHOSEN by God, I don’t have to be afraid anymore. I don’t have to worry that I will be rejected -or that I won’t be good enough for the people I love. I don’t have to be afraid that because of my imperfections, someone else will deem me unworthy of their time and attention and leave.
Not only does God say I don’t have to be afraid, but He says in verse 3 that He is going to pour out His Spirit and quench my thirst! If you’ve ever experienced feelings of insecurity and the fear of rejection, you know that it can leave you feeling empty inside. The constant worry and overthinking can mentally take everything out of you. Still, God says that He will pour out his Spirit on us and quench our thirst! His Spirit will fill the void in our hearts!
And then, as if that isn’t already enough to make us shout “Hallelujah,” He says in verse 4 that we will THRIVE! God never designed us to live a life where we are just getting by. He doesn’t want us to put on a happy face and pretend that everything is ok. John 10:10 tells us that God sent Jesus to give us an ABUNDANT life. God’s intent is for us to live full of His Spirit. And when we are full, verse 5 says that we will finally be able to declare who we truly are. “I belong to the Lord.”
Isn’t it amazing what God can do with a broken person? As He speaks, my heart becomes new. I no longer need to be afraid of not being good enough, because the Creator of the universe has called me CHOSEN. I can choose to accept the truth and proclaim in faith that I am His!
It’s not always easy to choose to believe God’s word. Sometimes it seems easier just to believe the lies. But, if we do, we will be missing out on the abundant life God has in store for us. His Word is everything we need. It is the truth, and it will never change.
I’m praying this morning for all the women that struggle with feelings of insecurity and a sense of unwantedness. I pray that God would pour out His Spirit upon you and enable you to feel His love and as you do, that you would know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are indeed, CHOSEN!
April Kirkland Lean into Jesus Ministries #aprilkirklandblogs