Verse of the Day 3/3

Verse of the Day 3/3

Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
    and the flame shall not consume you.   English Standard Version (ESV)

Yesterday we considered how Jesus calls us not to fear, don't be afraid, but instead we are to stand on the promises of God.  One of the biggest promises that came to me out of those thoughts was "I will be with you" that we see in today's verse from Isaiah 43.  It is probably one of the verses that I quote most often  here, probably because it is so important for any of God's children and it has been one I've drawn strength from over the years.

You won't find an easy button here.  When we receive Christ as our Savior it doesn't mean that everything will be blue skies and sunshine.  There will be rain, the river will rise and we will face wild fires of various sorts.  But through it all, God will be with us.  Through is the other focal word in the verse.  We can't go around all of the obstacles and challenges in life, we'll have to go through them with the help, courage and strength found in God, in His Word, in His promises.

The Bible has plenty of examples for us as Max Lucado points out in his book "You'll Get Through This"  -  "Out of the lions' den for Daniel, the prison for Peter, the whale's belly for Jonah, Goliath's shadow for David, the storm for the disciples, disease for the lepers, doubt for Thomas, the grave for Lazarus, and the shackles for Paul. God gets us through stuff. Through the Red Sea onto dry ground (Exodus 14:22), through the wilderness (Deuteronomy 29:5), through the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4), and through the deep sea (Psalm 77:19)......Through is a favorite word of God's.

Yesterday I encouraged you to read and study your Bibles and to look for God's promises.  The thoughts of Isaiah 43:2 had been on my mind since yesterday morning.  It just so happened that the passage came up twice this morning in my devotions, one of them  from a devotional by Max Lucado.  I love how those kind of things "just seem to happen" when you spend some  time in His Word.  It is no accident.

May you be able to take today's promise to the  bank.

"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 Message

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

Isaiah 43:2-4The Message (MSG)

When You're Between a Rock and a Hard Place

43 ^1-4 But now, God's Message,
    the God who made you in the first place, Jacob,
    the One who got you started, Israel:
"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.