Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. (Isaiah 43:1 ESV)
The peace of a dog’s life is a cliché. Usually we mean that a dog’s life is lazy, advantageous, and pleasant. But when I think of my dog’s life, I think of other things.
My dog had a scary life. But he doesn’t need to be afraid anymore.
We got Ambrose from the Wichita Animal Center. He was skinny, sickly, and while his smile was friendly and welcoming, mostly he cowered.
The Center could not tell us of Ambrose’s past. But it probably was not good. He continues to be a bit skittish around men, until I shake the visitor’s hand, and the dog sees that the stranger is not a stranger.
We bought Ambrose. That’s closer to what “redeemed” actually means that the idea of salvation we usually attach to that word. IF Ambrose had been ours to start with, and had lost him, when we bought him back from the pound it would be exactly a redemption. But this is close.
We called him by name. He was “Donny” when we first saw him in his kennel. But he didn’t look like a Donny. We didn’t like the name Donny. The dog was coming to a new home (more than a new house) and so he got a new name. We called him Ambrose.
And he is ours. He knows we’ll take care of him (even in a thunderstorm, he runs to us for protection.)
I could tell Ambrose, “Fear not, for we have (sort of) redeemed you… (sort of) called you by a new name… and you( sort of) belong to us.” And if he were smarter, he’d feel more at peace.
You might not like being compared to a dog. Yet it’s a pretty good example of God’s purchase of us, His calling us Christians, and our relationship to Him.
We ran away from home (and sometimes we keep running away from home.) He bought us back and brought us back. Doesn’t that diminish fear? We have affection for the things we buy at Target. But the things we lost and got back… THOSE we hold more closely.
We had old names. Rebel. Sinner. Selfish. Blind. Deaf. Me First. And He gives us new names and calls us by those names. He calls us Sons and Daughters. Beloved. Precious. The Bride of His Son. Christian. Every time He calls us by those names it is a chance to diminish fear. Some of you name your cars because you like those cars. Some of you name your land because you protect your land. Some of you name your children because you love them.
We are His. He not only bought us back, but He MADE us in the first place. And God takes care of what is His. Remembering that we are His diminishes fear. We take care of our yard but ignore the yard across town. We embrace our teddy bear but never touch another’s stuffed bedtime toy. We run out in the rain to retrieve our chainsaw but are not even aware when a neighbor’s chainsaw was left outside.
Fear not, because you are His.