Have you ever watched a cartoonist draw the character for which he’s famous? Take Charles Schulz, for instance. If you watch a video of him drawing Snoopy or Charlie Brown or Lucy, his lines are precise and confident. Each stroke is meant to be there, a perfect part of the character’s design. And how do we know they’re perfect? It’s because Charles Schulz created those characters. Sure, we can copy his drawings, but he drew them first, so he knew them inside and out. His connection to them was different than that of any fan or imitator.
The same idea is true for our relationship with our Creator. God knew exactly what He was doing when He made you. I remember reading a poster pinned on the wall outside the principal’s office of my high school: “I know I’m somebody ‘cuz God don’t make no junk.” Apart from the bad grammar, this is profoundly true. God isn’t in the business of making junk or mistakes. He made us, expertly knitting us in our mothers’ wombs, then He’s continued to watch over us. He wants us to become more like His Son, which can be hard work as we approach obstacles and struggles, but He loves us enough to equip us for those tough times with His Word and His Church.
Isaiah 43 is chock-full of God’s mercies and provisions for us. The whole chapter is such a blessing, but here are the first two verses just to give you a taste: “But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.’”
Just in case you missed it, let’s review what the Lord did for the Israelites back then and what He continues to do for us—He created and formed us, redeemed and summoned us. He’ll be with us when we feel threatened and overwhelmed. Our Creator, the One and Only True God, knows us that intimately. Every stroke of the pen by which we’re drawn is a tiny sample of the miracle that we are.
I love the old Peanuts comic strip with Snoopy waking up in the middle of the night, scared and alone. He kicks on Charlie Brown’s front door until the boy opens it. Then Charlie hugs his dog tightly, and he tells Snoopy, “Are you upset little friend? Have you been lying awake worrying? Well, don't worry...I'm here. I’m here to give you reassurance everything is all right. The flood waters will recede, the famine will end, the sun will shine tomorrow, and I will always be here to take care of you.”
Charles M. Schulz
You are known. You are seen. You are loved.
