“Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine. Fear not: for I am with thee (Isaiah 43:1, 5).

It was the day Samuel had looked forward to and yet dreaded. On Thursday he would take his driver’s test to operate a passenger bus. He diligently studied the procedure expected of him. He practiced driving every chance he got. Sammy, as his friends called him, was a good bus driver, but still he was really nervous about the test. Although he did not know the exact route the inspector would select for him, he knew the general area. The city streets were narrow. The intersections were congested. The sixty-six passenger bus required a lot of room to make the turns. Am I going to pass this test? he wondered. “Honey, don’t be afraid. I know the Lord is going to be with you and help you,” his dear wife Anna reassured him. Just before he put the left directional light on to merge into the driving lane, Sammy remembered, “Don’t be afraid. I have redeemed you and now I am with you.” It was just like the Lord was sitting behind him. What a blessing.

For today: How does this promise of redeeming you, being with you, and calling you by name affect you today?