Book One begins with a devotional that talks about how God chooses us before we even know we need saving. It is appropriately called “Before.” The authors point us to Isaiah 43:1 where God makes a beautiful promise to His chosen people while they were being rebellious towards Him. The verse says, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” What I hope we can understand is that God sees our “after” potential, even while we are still in our “before” state. I usually refer to my life before Christ saved me as my “BC” life, and the authors rightly say we all have had a not-so-good BC. They mention the four major disciples this book focuses on in this quote: “A rash, brash fisherman. A pious, fancy-pants religious leader. A thieving, indifferent-to-suffering tax collector. A demon-possessed woman so insignificant that her ‘before’ isn’t even recorded and we’re left to surmise what it might’ve been.” (p13) And it is exactly because God already sees the end before the beginning of our lives even started, that we do not need to fear. God has us, and everything else, under His loving and gracious control.
We can become who we were always meant to be because God has called us His. He will make sure we come to His side, grow in His Grace and shine His Light to all those around us. He will. All we have to do is trust Him and obey His lead. Seems simple…but we all know too well it is far from easy. Again, God understands this and continues to draw us in and work with what He is given. What kind of lovely God is this that He would take us from our sinful “before” and lead us towards our holy “after”? My Friends, when fear comes, because it will, we must continually learn to bring it to God and lay it down at His feet. Because He has paid the high price to redeem us. Because He has called us by name. Because we are His…there is nothing to fear.
