Isaiah 43:2, 3a - Jesus Is With You In Deep Waters and Even In Fire.
Isaiah 43:2, 3a (NIV) 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;
COMMENTARY PEARL
Years ago my wife was cooking a steak,
and as she often does, she threw it on and then
went and did something else. But on this
particular occasion, she forgot about the steak. Then
she said, Something is burning. Whats that
smell?
Lets just say it was well done.
Im glad that when we go through fiery
trials as believers, God doesnt get distracted,
forget about us, and leave us there.
David wrote in Psalm 23, Yea, though I
walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I
will fear no evil; for You are with me (verse
4 NKJV).
We must remember to cast our problems on
the Lord, turning them over to Him in times of
need.
When the people were griping and
complaining about Moses, the Bible tells us that Moses
cried out to the Lord. When Hezekiah received an
intimidating letter from a king who was threatening to
destroy him, he spread the letter out before the
Lord. When Mary and Martha saw that their beloved
brother Lazarus was sick, they sent word to the
Lord.
When trouble comes your way, cast it on
Him. Spread it out before Him. Call on Him. As
the Scriptures say, Casting all your care
upon Him, for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7
NKJV).
Most of us would like to avoid the
valleys of life, so to speak, but there are some
lessons we learn there that we cannot learn anywhere
else.
God doesnt promise to keep us out of
all trouble. But He does promise to be with us
in the midst of it. Its a great thing to
know that when the Lord lets His children go
through a fiery trial, He always keeps an eye on
them and an eye on the thermostat. [Greg Laurie
from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
COMMENTARY
Abbey Muzio is a three-year-old little
girl with blonde hair and the biggest smile ever.
Although a fun-loving child, she has a fear of water.
If she dares stick her foot in a pool, she only
does so wearing water wings, clutching her
mommy's neck and whimpering, "You won't let me doe?
Please, don't let me doe." Though her mother
struggles to breathe in Abbey's vice-grip, she
assures, "Sweetie, I won't let you go."
Life situations that have a potential for
danger or disappointment can easily foster fear in
our hearts. We are so like Abbey, attempting to
grab God in an arm lock and insisting, "Don't let
me doe!" Rather than fear, we need to have
faith; Isaiah 43 is a beautiful picture of God's
provision in the midst of trouble. Jesus himself said
in John 10:28, "I give them eternal life, and
they shall never perish; no one can snatch them
out of my hand." God has a vice-grip on us... he
has the eternal security of our souls in an arm
lock. He will never, ever let you go!
Abbey's mother told me, "I wish Abbey
would simply relax and trust me. I don't want her
to be afraid; I want her to have fun in the
water. She needs to realize that my hold on her is
more secure than any grip she has on me." It's a
lesson about God we all need to learn.
Lord Jesus, thank you for the promises in
your Word which chase away fears that overwhelm.
I trust you with scary life situations. Thank
you for holding me tight. [Joni Eareckson Tada
Daily Devotional:
http://www.joniandfriends.org/daily-devotional]
We took our kids on an epic adventure
this summer, from Arkansas to the West Coast,
exploring as much of the country as we could before
heading on up to the giant coastal redwoods of
California.
Every little town up there has its own
"drive-through tree" where people literally drive their
cars through a giant redwood. We stopped at one
of these tourist traps and stood in the
man-made space. What kind of living thing sustains
that much damage and keeps on standing?
We camped somewhere off the grid, near
the Avenue of the Giants. When the sun came up,
we felt like the first humans in a prehistoric
world. The ferns were as tall as we were. And the
trees - such trees - could only be called
majestic. We walked around under them like ants.
The most interesting ones to me were
those that had been hollowed out by wildfires.
They had these massive rooms within them called
goose pens, because the first settlers used them
to house livestock. Fire had not stopped those
trees. Their scars became useful to others as they
kept on growing, straight up to the sky.
I realized that, in Jesus, I am like
those trees. I've gone through fire that hurt and
scarred - but it did not consume me, and no fire
ever will. I'll keep standing, even growing and
thriving. Because He is the One Who sustains my life.
by Gwen Ford Faulkenberry
Faith Step: Plant something today that
you can watch and nurture. Let it be a reminder
to you of Jesus's faithfulness to keep bringing
you new life and growth, even out of painful
circumstances. [Mornings With Jesus 2019 Devotional by
Guideposts and Zondervan]
CLOSING THOUGHT
Sometimes change feels like wading
through a rushing river. But God promises he will
not allow you to drown. God is with you, whether
you feel it or not. Feelings aren't a reliable
gauge of his presence. He will walk next to you
and help you deal with whatever you're going
through.
Moses told God, "If your Presence does
not go with us, do not send us up from here"
(Exodus 33:15). He knew the Israelites couldn't
accomplish their mission without God's presence and
help. God reassured Moses that he would absolutely
go with them, and he kept that promise.
Step forward, confident in God's help
that's only a prayer away.
God will make sure you get safely to the
other side; he will be faithful to sustain you and
put you on dry ground again. [The Daniel Plan
365-Day Devotional]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2015/20150928-2119.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
