Mensa Otabil - God Will Not Desert You
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Welcome to a brand new day. We go to Isaiah chapter 43, verse 2: «When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; when you go through the rivers, they shall not overflow you; when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.»
You know, sometimes the problems of life come to us like a flood of water. All of a sudden, the floodgates are opened, and things are bombarding you from every side, trying to overwhelm you. That’s what the Bible is talking about. Sometimes it’s like a flood; other times, it’s like fire, like a raging fire that is burning, seeking to consume and destroy you.
So many times, we go through floods and we go through fires, but when we go through them, we want to trust that God is with us. That’s what our passage today is all about. This is a prophecy that God gave through Isaiah to Israel during a very difficult time in their story. They were going through a crisis and facing total destruction. The nation was undergoing a crisis that seemed like a flood and through the fire. God says to Israel, «I am with you,» even though everything looks very dismal around you. That same God is the one who speaks to us. The God who spoke to Israel speaks to us today. He says, «Although it seems like a flood or a fire, I am with you.» There are a few things we can learn from this passage as we go through difficult times in our own lives: God will not desert His own.
Now, at the time that this prophecy took place, Israel was going through difficulty because they had sinned against God. They had turned against God and done what He said they shouldn’t do, so really, what they were going through was brought on by themselves. Their sin is what got them into trouble, but God said, «Even though your sin got you into trouble, I am still with you.» That shows you the extent of God’s love; even when we are at fault and cause the problem, God doesn’t turn His back on us. He says, «Even if you caused it, I can redeem you, I can deliver you, I can help you if you will come back to me and trust me.»
That is God’s ever-extended arm of mercy that comes to His children. We also learn that God keeps us safe through all kinds of adversity. Isaiah talked about water; he talked about fire. They seem to be opposites, but these opposites, when they hit you, can turn your days upside down. Your life is spinning like in water, or your life is being destroyed like in fire. But God is with us, and in the story of Israel, we see a time when they went through the waters of the Red Sea, and it was all around them, but they were preserved. That’s what God is saying: «You go through the waters; I am with you.» You may see the flood of waters around you, but they will not destroy you. I am with you.
In the story of Daniel and his friends, when Daniel’s companions were thrown into the fire, God was with them. So God says, «When you go through the fire, I am with you.» The same God who preserves in the flood is the God who preserves in the fire. So whatever you are going through, it may be a flood or it may be fire, but God says, «I am with you.» The flood will not overwhelm you, and the fire will not quench you. You’re going to come out of this with a song, with a testimony, and with victory in Christ Jesus.
Let’s pray. Say with me: Heavenly Father, Your presence surrounds me at all times. You deliver me from the flood and the fire. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.