Devotional

“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. 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. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it. I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:1-3, 18-19.

When we go through trials of every kind, God is there beside us. His protection is upon us whether we are going through the waters or through fire. He will keep us from harm. What have we done to deserve such a blessing? Absolutely nothing. It is not by what we have done, but by what God has done. Not only will God exchange nations for our ransom, but He sent His Son to die on the cross for the ransom of many. We were bought with a price, the blood of Christ that was shed. In exchange, we receive the free gift of salvation. There will never be another deal like this one. We no longer need to dwell in our past. God is doing something new here for us to focus on. He makes the Way in the wilderness, becomes our living water in the wasteland, and He makes us a new creation. We worship Jesus because we are grateful.

Yet, some of us fall away. Our faith is put to the test when we lose those precious to us. Does God not love us anymore? It may even feel like God is failing us. What we are lacking is a (reverent) fear of the LORD. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to worship the giant golden statue of the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar under penalty of death by the flames of the furnace. They declared their God can keep them safe from the flames, but even if God didn’t save them, they will still not bow down to the golden statue. Will we stop loving God if He doesn’t save us or our loved ones? Or will we develop a (reverent) fear of the LORD in our faith and declare, even if He doesn’t I will love and honor God? By the way, God did save them from the flames in the end.

Prayer

The waves are real. The fire is real. Trials and tribulations are real. No amount of denial will remove their presence. But you, O LORD, are with us in the storm. You are the fourth in the fiery furnace. You walk alongside us in life’s challenges and struggles. We are not alone, nor have you forsaken us. You are with us. You have created, formed, redeemed, and summoned us – we are yours. We believe this and we ask that you reassure us in our moments of unbelief. Give us the confidence and certainty of your ever-present company. Make yourself known in all circumstances, building us up and empowering us to do great things for your kingdom.

Scripture Memorization

Isaiah 43:18-19 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it. I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

Photo Credit: Bill Zielinski @zphotobc

Music Credit: Resurrecting – Elevation Worship

Devotional Written by: Sambi Katano

Prayer: Pastor Deborah Downs