"...You are Mine!"

Why has it taken me so long to accept these word..."You are Mine!" Why is it so hard for us to accept God's love? Why is it so hard for us to trust Him? My guess is that we cannot accept the things that we cannot fully understand. This finite mind of our's cannot comprehend the magnitude of God's love. Therefore, finding it so hard to trust Him completely and to accept His unconditional love and forgiveness.

Yet look what God says to us in Isaiah 43:1-4:

"Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you. I've called your name. You are 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... 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."

I see so much in these verses:

1. He's redeemed us (He's paid for our personal debt of sins--in full!)
2. He's called us (He's chosen us, He knows us by name)
3. He claims us (we are not orphans, we belong to Him)
4. He is with us always (there is no situation too stressful, too frightening, or too difficult for Him)
5. He is our personal God (He delights in supplying our every need)
6. He loves us (there's nothing He wouldn't do for us)
7. He will not give up on us (even if we have given up on ourselves)

Do I need to say more! As I read these verses I am reminded of the book of Hosea; how his (prostitute) wife kept leaving him. Maybe she couldn't believe it either...that a godly man would actually notice her, want her, choose her, purchase her, claim her as his, be with her, love her, forgive her, care for her, and not give up on her. Sounds familiar?