A meditation on Isaiah 43: 1-7.
The promises.
Walk with me, and I will be with you.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. The rivers will not overwhelm you. Fire will not scorch you… for I am the Lord. Isaiah proclaims His words with holy reverence, profound conviction.
You are my Savior. The Holy One. The One who has redeemed it all, who has called me by name. You call me precious, honored, loved. You give other men… ONE man, Jesus in exchange for my life. You are my Savior. My Redeemer. I need not fear. For your very presence, the presence of the King is with me. You have chosen me. You have formed me. From eternity you are God. You act and none can reverse it. You redeem. You make a way in the wilderness, a path through the mighty waters.
You make a roadway in the wilderness and you Lord will do something new to redeem, to glorify your holy name. This, Lord, is the glory, the safety we experience when walking with you. It is not circumstantial. It is not a promise of safety but of presence. Your presence. Your presence in the wilderness. Your presence in the waters. For it is in the wilderness that you make a way. It is in the desert that you make rivers. It is in the fire that you cause the flames not to burn.
I so badly want your safety to mean I am safe from the waters. From the desert. From the wilderness. From the fire. But the promise of your presence comes IN those places not from it.
“Lord, the very places I’ve wanted out of are the places I’ve found you in. Help me remember in whatever place you take me, the promise is Your presence. And when I’m tempted to fear, remind me that in all things, in all places, in all circumstances, you are with me Lord. And let that be enough.”
A song to let these words sink in…
- A Time to be Silent and a Time to Speak - October 29, 2020
- Teaching Them to Hope, Birthday After Birthday. - January 15, 2020
- A Taste of Hope Fulfilled – Briella Dawn’s Birth Story - August 3, 2018
