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The central theme of this song is this: God’s faithfulness calls forth a faithful heart. A heart that trusts His Word above what it sees, feels, or understands. A heart that stands on the unshakable promises of God in the midst of shaking.
Let us look at what the Word of God says. The main lines of the song are a weaving together of several key scriptures, but at the core stand two:
> “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
> — 2 Corinthians 5:7
> “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
> — Hebrews 11:1
These New Testament declarations are framed in the song by strong Old Testament promises of God’s care and covenant:
> “But now thus says the Lord,
> he who created you, O Jacob,
> he who formed you, O Israel:
> ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
> I have called you by name, you are mine.
> When you pass through the waters, I will be with you…’”
> — Isaiah 43:1–2
The song “Faithful Heart” gathers these truths into one message:
This is not sentiment. It is covenant. It is spiritual warfare. It is a call to live by God’s Word instead of your senses.
To understand the power of these lines, we must hear them as they were first spoken.
### Isaiah 43:1–2 – A Word to a Redeemed, Yet Afflicted People
Isaiah prophesied to Judah in a time when the people of God were under judgment and would face exile. The Lord speaks to a people who had failed, who had sinned, who would experience discipline. Yet He speaks as Creator, Redeemer, and Covenant Lord:
These are covenant words. Israel is facing waters (troubles, nations, exile), but God does not say, “You will avoid the waters.” He says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.”
This is not a promise of exemption from trials, but of preservation in trials.
### 2 Corinthians 5:7 – Paul’s Apostolic Perspective
Paul writes 2 Corinthians out of personal suffering—afflictions, persecutions, pressures beyond measure. In this context, he says:
> “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
He has been speaking of the unseen, eternal realities—the heavenly dwelling, the judgment seat of Christ, the future glory. Paul contrasts what is seen (temporary, fragile, outward) with what is unseen (eternal, substantial, real in God’s economy). His life is shaped not by what his eyes see but by what God has said.
### Hebrews 11:1 – The Nature of Faith
Hebrews is addressed to believers tempted to draw back under pressure. The writer calls them to endurance and then defines faith:
> “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
This chapter then lists men and women who lived as if God’s promises were more real than their circumstances. Faith is not vague optimism; it is a firm grip on God’s spoken Word.
### 1 Peter 5:7 – Anxiety in a Hostile World
Peter writes to scattered believers under pressure, facing hostility and suffering. He gives a command:
> “Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”
This is set in a context of spiritual warfare (1 Peter 5:8–9). Anxiety is not a neutral state. If not dealt with God’s way, it becomes an open door for the enemy.
### Deuteronomy 31:8 – The Lord Who Goes Before
Moses, at the end of his life, addresses Israel and Joshua as they prepare to cross into the promised land. There are giants, fortified cities, unknown battles ahead. God’s answer:
> “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
God does not send His people forward alone. He goes ahead, and then He stands with.
### Jeremiah 29:11 – Promise in Exile
Jeremiah writes this promise to exiles in Babylon. They are in discipline, in a foreign land, under pagan rule. Yet God says:
> “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for peace and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
This is not spoken to people on a spiritual “high,” but to people in confusion. God anchors them with His intention: good, not evil; hope, not despair.
The song gathers these contexts into one continuous voice of God to His people today: a faithful God calling forth a faithful heart.
Let us look at two key words that unlock the depth of these promises.
### 1. “Redeemed” – *Ga'al* (גָּאַל) – Isaiah 43:1
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you.”
The Hebrew word used is ga'al. It refers to the action of a kinsman-redeemer—one who:
It is not a cold legal transaction. It is family loyalty expressed in action.
When God says, “I have redeemed you,” He is saying:
This deepens the lyric: “Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you.”
Fear is answered not by circumstances changing, but by recognizing whose you are and what He has done to claim you.
### 2. “Assurance” – *Hypostasis* (ὑπόστασις) – Hebrews 11:1
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for…”
The Greek word is hypostasis. Literally, it means:
In the ancient world, *hypostasis* could refer to a “title deed”—the legal document guaranteeing ownership of property.
So faith is not wishful thinking. Faith is:
This deepens the lyric: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for.”
Faith does not create reality; it responds to God’s already settled Word. Faith is the heart’s grip on that reality, despite appearances.
Let us now walk through the song and connect each line with scripture and spiritual reality.
### Verse 1
“Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.”
This is almost a direct quotation of Isaiah 43:1–2.
#### 1. “Do not be afraid…”
This is a command. In Scripture, “fear not” is not a suggestion. It is a response demanded by who God is and what He has done.
We must recognize that persistent, ruling fear is not neutral. It is often energized by a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7). God has not given us such a spirit. He has given us power, love, and a sound mind.
The antidote to fear here is not self-talk but redemption truth.
#### 2. “For I have redeemed you…”
Redemption is the basis of “fear not.” God has already acted decisively:
If you are redeemed, you are no longer available to Satan’s ownership. Fear has no legal right to rule you. You belong to Another.
#### 3. “I have called you by name; you are mine.”
This speaks of personal, individual belonging.
“You are mine” is covenant language. In spiritual warfare, identity is crucial. Satan attacks identity. God secures identity by His Word: “You are mine.”
#### 4. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.”
Note: “When,” not “if.” God does not promise a life free of floods, but a presence greater than the flood.
The key is: God with you in the passage.
This line affirms a vital balance:
### Chorus
“For we walk by faith, not by sight;
now faith is the assurance of things hoped for.”
This chorus unites 2 Corinthians 5:7 and Hebrews 11:1.
#### 1. “We walk by faith, not by sight.”
“Walk” in the New Testament describes a lifestyle, a daily pattern. To walk by faith means:
This is particularly relevant in trials:
Walking by faith does not mean being irrational; it means being Word-governed.
#### 2. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for.”
There is an important sequence in the Christian life:
Hebrews 6:19 says hope is “a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul.” Many believers lack stability because they lack biblical hope. When hope is rooted in God’s Word, faith arises to give it substance.
The song keeps repeating this chorus, reinforcing the spiritual discipline:
### Verse 2
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
It is the Lord who goes before you; he will be with you.”
This combines 1 Peter 5:7 with Deuteronomy 31:8.
#### 1. “Cast all your anxiety on him…”
The Greek word for “cast” in 1 Peter 5:7 (*epiriptō*) means to throw upon, to place upon something else. It is decisive, not tentative.
Anxiety is to be:
“All your anxiety” means:
You are not designed to carry them. He is.
#### 2. “Because he cares for you.”
This is the motive behind the command. God’s care is not abstract. It is attentive, involved, protective.
The enemy often whispers: “God does not care about you.” This line in the song counters that lie. Your casting must be based on the settled fact: He cares.
#### 3. “It is the Lord who goes before you; he will be with you.”
Deuteronomy 31:8 presents a double assurance:
So wherever you arrive, He was there before you and is there with you.
Notice how this ties back to Isaiah 43:2:
This demolishes the lie of abandonment. Faith must stand against feelings of abandonment and answer them with this Word.
### Bridge
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord,
plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.”
This is Jeremiah 29:11.
#### 1. “For I know the plans I have for you…”
God’s plans are not reactive. He is not improvising in response to your failures or crises. He says, “I know the plans I have for you.”
#### 2. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you…”
The Hebrew word for “prosper” is shalom—peace, wholeness, well-being, completeness. God’s intention is:
This does not mean a life without suffering. It means that God’s ultimate intention, through and beyond suffering, is your good (Romans 8:28).
#### 3. “Plans to give you hope and a future.”
Your future is not defined by your past failures, the enemy’s attacks, or current circumstances. It is defined by God’s plan.
Hope here is not vague; it is anchored expectation that:
The bridge lifts our eyes from present pressures to God’s long-term purpose. This is vital in spiritual warfare; discouragement and despair are among Satan’s favorite weapons.
### Outro
“Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you.”
The song ends where it began: with redemption and the command not to fear.
This repetition is not redundant. It is strategic. Many believers hear truth once and then live as though they never heard it. The Spirit often repeats what we most need to believe.
Fear is answered—again—not by explaining the future in detail, but by pointing back to the finished act of God’s redemption.
A faithful heart is one that continually returns to this anchor: “I am redeemed. Therefore, I will not fear.”
This message must move from song and scripture into daily practice. Let me offer four clear steps.
### 1. Agree with God about Your Identity
First, we must align with God’s verdict: “You are mine.”
Faith often begins with your mouth before it is fully felt in your emotions (Romans 10:9–10; Proverbs 18:21).
### 2. Make a Faith Exchange for Your Anxiety
Second, we must cast our anxieties upon the Lord as an act of obedience.
Sometimes it helps to do a simple prophetic act: write your anxieties on paper, then physically tear or place that paper before the Lord, saying: “I cast these on You in Jesus’ name.”
This is not psychological trickery; it is obedience to a command backed by a promise: “He cares for you.”
### 3. Choose the Walk of Faith Daily
Third, we must consciously walk by faith, not by sight.
This means you ask in each situation: “What has God said about this?”
You decide that God’s Word is final authority over your emotions, circumstances, and reasoning.
Faith is not a feeling. It is a decision to trust God’s character and Word, backed by steadfast confession and obedience.
### 4. Anchor Yourself in Hope for the Future
Fourth, we must embrace God’s plan of hope and future.
This is crucial for long-term spiritual stability. Without hope, faith withers. Maintain hope by constant exposure to God’s promises, particularly passages like Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28–39, and Ephesians 2:10.
### Proclamation
Speak this aloud, thoughtfully and firmly:
> **I proclaim that I am redeemed by the blood of Jesus.
> God has called me by name; I belong to Him.
> I refuse fear, because I am redeemed.
> When I pass through the waters, He is with me.
> I walk by faith and not by sight.
> Faith is my assurance of the good things God has promised.
> I cast all my anxieties on the Lord, because He cares for me.
> The Lord goes before me; He is with me;
> He will never leave me nor forsake me.
> My God knows the plans He has for me—
> plans for peace and not for evil,
> to give me a future and a hope.
> My heart will be a faithful heart,
> trusting in the faithful God,
> in the name of Jesus. Amen.**
### Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ,
I thank You that You have redeemed me with Your own blood.
I thank You that You have called me by name, and I am Yours.
I bring to You every fear, every anxiety, every confusion in my heart.
According to Your Word, I cast all my anxieties on You,
because You care for me.
Holy Spirit, establish in me a faithful heart.
Teach me to walk by faith and not by sight.
Write Your promises deep within me:
that You are with me in the waters,
that You go before me into every situation,
that Your plans for me are for peace, hope, and a future.
I renounce the spirit of fear and every lie of the enemy about my future.
I choose to trust Your Word above my feelings and circumstances.
Father, fulfill in my life the good plans You know and have prepared.
Make my life a testimony of Your faithfulness,
for the glory of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
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