“Prepare to Be Amazed” is the title of the final chapter of a book my husband Peter and I wrote together, 20 Things We’d Tell Our Twentysomething Selves. A friend painted that phrase on a beautiful wooden sign, which sits above our kitchen sink. It reminds us that God is working in incredible ways for His own glory—despite any “evidence” we might claim to the contrary.

Isaiah 43 is a beautiful decla- ration of this truth. These verses communicate God’s commitment to His people and love for them. The prophet—as God’s own mouthpiece— speaks directly to them. The repeated use of the personal pronouns (“I” and “you”) highlights the intimate connection between the Lord and His chosen ones.

In verses 1–7, God reminds them of His past work. He created them, redeemed them, and called them to Himself. Then He promised that same ongoing care through future fires and floods. Verse 4, in particular, is a direct and passionate declaration of love. He calls His people “precious,” and He underscores His promise to pay any price for their deliverance.

Verses 8–13 describe a courtroom scene. All the nations have assembled to hear the testimony, and God’s people are His witnesses. To the blind and deaf and needy, they testify that He is the only true God and Savior, Who has “revealed and saved and proclaimed” (v. 12).

But as amazing as God’s work has been in the past (vv. 16–17), it is not finished. He is “doing a new thing!” (v. 19). He is not done redeeming. He is not done “making a way in the wilderness” (v. 19). We are able to obey the Greatest Commandment because He has loved us—faithfully and generously! Knowing this compels us to praise (v. 21)!

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