Isaiah 43: 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.
2 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.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your stead.
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.
2 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.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your stead.
============
“It hurts me but I am looking to fire you” were the words of
my former janitorial supervisor. “Are you drowned in paperwork” a former coworker
asked me. Firing and drowning are strange concepts to me. I hope it doesn’t
mean placing logs at my feet and lighting a match to burn me or holding my head
beneath water until I suffocate.
- Sometimes the fires of life can get to me.
- Sometimes I feel like I am drowning in work, debt, pain or something else.
- Sometimes the waters knock me over and the fires burn my soul.
Fire also has been used to illustrate an unmet yet extreme
want or desire. It burns from within and can cause me to turn away from GOD.
Meanwhile water, while soft, can knock me over when it comes at me too fast,
similar to the problems of life. When I try to hold back the raging river of
trials, I seem to get flooded with worry. What am I to do?
- GOD says to me “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you.”
- GOD says to me “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.”
- GOD says to me “When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
Only GOD can make those statements. HE is
the only one who can protect me, my family, my community and my nation. GOD
continues to say to me “No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?” When GOD holds onto me, no one can
take me out of HIS hand, not even myself. GOD’s salvation is as permanent as
HIS promises. HE acts on my behalf and no one can reverse it.
- Are you being burned by the fires of life?
- Is life dishing out trials that are knocking you over like a flood?
- Can you slow down and see that GOD is holding onto you tightly in spite of the way you think about HIM?
- Will you call out to HIM today?
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