being redeemed

I've been reading in Isaiah the past few nights, and have been struck with how many times God is referred to as our redeemer - more so, how incredible that thought is. In the dictionary, the word redeem is defined as "to buy back," or "to release from blame or debt." When I think of its meaning, I think of it as collecting something of worth. Any of these definitions describe exactly what God desires with us - to buy us back from the life of sin we were born into, releasing us from the debts we owed to him (by sending Jesus to the cross)....hence, collecting something of worth....us. He cannot NOT be redeemer...and we cannot NOT be redeemed. Redeeming us -any single one of us, regardless of our past, regardless of what we have done - is His very nature - it is who He is.

***
But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.
O Israel, the one who formed you says,
“Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine.
² When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.
³ For I am the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom;
I gave Ethiopia^a]">[a] and Seba in your place.
⁴ Others were given in exchange for you.
I traded their lives for yours
because you are precious to me.
You are honored, and I love you.

--Isaiah 43:1-4