You will not be burned

Isaiah 43:2 - 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.

 

Having earlier assured Israel in verse 1, that she is God’s own special possession, “I have summoned you by name; you are mine”, God now assures her that He will be with her in every one of life’s situation. God describes different scenarios or situations where His people may/would go through and yet in all those situations God will be with them and nothing is going to harm them. 

 

Be they waters – daily perils, rivers – sudden painful circumstances that are caused by others and fire – situations that engulfs and distresses one to the core, God’s presence is always with His people. 

 

In a similar fashion, God’s love for you and me is beyond comprehension. He has called us His sons and daughters (John 1:12) because we have acknowledged Him as Lord and Saviour. This personal relationship is unique to the Christian faith, where we can approach God and have this father-child relationship. It was the blood of Christ that established this relationship whereby we can call God, “Abba father (Romans 8:15).

 

And because we are His children, God promises to be with no matter what the situation you and I may be going through.

 

In life we go through so many challenges. We all have our own share of despondencies. And as we read the Bible even the saints felt like that too:

• Elijah in a state of despondency wanted to die
• Even David in his loneliness cried to God
• Psalms 22:1 - My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?
• Even Job in Job 23, cries out and says I cannot find Him

But when they all looked back in retrospect, God’s presence was always with them. The scripture assures us of His presence with us in every situation of our lives. One theme that is consistent throughout the Bible is that God presence is always with us:

• More than assurances about healing
• More than the “all things work for good”
• More than physical blessings

The assurance that “I am with you” is so consistent that you and I can be rest assured that “My God will never leave me nor forsake me”. King David knew the importance of this and he says in:

• Psalms 23:4 - Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;

If there’s anyone who has gone through dark valleys, it was David. Threats from his enemies, from his friends, from those he trusted, his own weakness and sins and his own failures in not trusting God. Yet, he was able to say, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;

 

I want to assure you that:

• The God that was with Daniel in the lion’s den,
• The God that was with Elijah when he confronted the false prophets,
• The God who was with Moses, when people accused him and wanted to get rid of him,
• The God who was with the 3 Hebrew boys in the furnace of persecution,
• The God who was with Mary and Martha when their brother had died.

Will be with us because he is risen. No matter what depth of pain or sorrow, God is more than able and willing to come into our pain and sorrow and nurture our souls.  Even when we are overwhelmed we can rest assured that God has not forsaken us.  

"I am with you"