When You Walk through the Fire

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine. 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. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." (Isa 43:1-3)

This is a great passage of Scripture. Yes, it is specifically to Israel, but it is also to the redeemed. It is a comforting statement from a loving, sovereign God regarding His care for us in our tough times. In the floods and fires of life, you will not be consumed. He is with us.

It's interesting, though, what He does not promise. He does not promise to keep us from the fire or the flood. We are not promised a warm, happy, comfortable life. In fact, the word is "when", not "if". When you pass through the waters and when you walk through the fire. Or, to put it another way ... "Oh, you will."

From an experiential vantage point, we know this to be true. Everyone experiences difficulty. Everyone. To me, then, it is a great comfort to know not that God failed to stop it, but that He's in it with me. That it's not out of His control. That He will protect me even in the hardships. It's a little difficult, perhaps, to say "Fear not" and "You will go through fire and water" in the same sentence, but it should be the ultimate comfort to know He's in it with us and controlling the outcome. That's a good thing to remember when we find ourselves up to our necks in water or out of the frying pan and in the fire as we all seem to do from time to time.