WHAT DO YOU SEE? WHAT DOES GOD SEE? DO THEY MATCH?

“…Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you. I’ve called your name. You’re 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: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! 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.” – Isaiah 43:4 (MSG).

Have you ever wondered how God sees you? Perhaps interactions with others have shaped how you believe you’re viewed. But in His Word, God tells us exactly how loved and cherished we are. Here’s what God sees: His dearly loved child who is wanted, valuable, secure, saved, and loved. He loves you and longs for you to see yourself as God sees you.

The truth is that God made each person a unique image of Himself and wants to see us fulfilling our potential. Jesus loves us so much He gave His own life up for us to walk in the power of forgiveness as chosen children. In Christ, we are made whole and complete and are given the task of working with God to further His kingdom.

Isaiah 43:4, says, “I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! 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.” He loves us so much that He would sell off the whole world. The NIV version says, “…I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.” Think about that for a second and then reconsider how valuable you are to God. The Bible tells us God takes delight in us. Zephaniah 3:17 says, “For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

When God looks at you, He sees the unique and precious child He created. He is right beside you in every step you take. God knows you right down to the number of hairs on your head. He gave up His Son to die for you so that you could live with Him in heaven forever. God loves you as a perfect Father and desires a deep personal relationship with you.

When God looks at us, He sees us for who we are in Christ. While He’s not blind to sin and the ugliness of our lives, that’s not His focus. He concentrates on the potential of who we will be. He sees us through the prism of what Christ has done in our lives. God already sees the finished product, even when we doubt we will ever make it to the end.

What do you see?

What does God see?

Do they match?

Discussion Questions:

How does God see you?
What are some roadblocks to seeing yourself as God sees you affect you most?
What can we do this week to remove some of those roadblocks?