aBible.com     

Isaiah 43:2, 3a - Jesus Is With You In Deep Waters and Even In Fire.

Isaiah 43:2, 3a (NIV) 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. 
3 For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of 
Israel, your Savior;  

COMMENTARY PEARL

   Years ago my wife was cooking a steak, 
and as she often does, she threw it on and then 
went and did something else. But on this 
particular occasion, she forgot about the steak. Then 
she said, Something is burning. Whats that 
smell? 
   Lets just say it was well done.
   Im glad that when we go through fiery 
trials as believers, God doesnt get distracted, 
forget about us, and leave us there. 
   David wrote in Psalm 23, Yea, though I 
walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I 
will fear no evil; for You are with me (verse 
4 NKJV). 
   We must remember to cast our problems on 
the Lord, turning them over to Him in times of 
need. 
   When the people were griping and 
complaining about Moses, the Bible tells us that Moses 
cried out to the Lord. When Hezekiah received an 
intimidating letter from a king who was threatening to 
destroy him, he spread the letter out before the 
Lord. When Mary and Martha saw that their beloved 
brother Lazarus was sick, they sent word to the 
Lord. 
   When trouble comes your way, cast it on 
Him. Spread it out before Him. Call on Him. As 
the Scriptures say, Casting all your care 
upon Him, for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7 
NKJV). 
   Most of us would like to avoid the 
valleys of life, so to speak, but there are some 
lessons we learn there that we cannot learn anywhere 
else. 
   God doesnt promise to keep us out of 
all trouble. But He does promise to be with us 
in the midst of it. Its a great thing to 
know that when the Lord lets His children go 
through a fiery trial, He always keeps an eye on 
them and an eye on the thermostat. [Greg Laurie 
from Harvest Ministries; 
https://www.harvestdaily.com] 

COMMENTARY

   Abbey Muzio is a three-year-old little 
girl with blonde hair and the biggest smile ever. 
Although a fun-loving child, she has a fear of water. 
If she dares stick her foot in a pool, she only 
does so wearing water wings, clutching her 
mommy's neck and whimpering, "You won't let me doe? 
Please, don't let me doe." Though her mother 
struggles to breathe in Abbey's vice-grip, she 
assures, "Sweetie, I won't let you go." 
   Life situations that have a potential for 
danger or disappointment can easily foster fear in 
our hearts. We are so like Abbey, attempting to 
grab God in an arm lock and insisting, "Don't let 
me doe!" Rather than fear, we need to have 
faith; Isaiah 43 is a beautiful picture of God's 
provision in the midst of trouble. Jesus himself said 
in John 10:28, "I give them eternal life, and 
they shall never perish; no one can snatch them 
out of my hand." God has a vice-grip on us... he 
has the eternal security of our souls in an arm 
lock. He will never, ever let you go! 
   Abbey's mother told me, "I wish Abbey 
would simply relax and trust me. I don't want her 
to be afraid; I want her to have fun in the 
water. She needs to realize that my hold on her is 
more secure than any grip she has on me." It's a 
lesson about God we all need to learn. 
   Lord Jesus, thank you for the promises in 
your Word which chase away fears that overwhelm. 
I trust you with scary life situations. Thank 
you for holding me tight. [Joni Eareckson Tada 
Daily Devotional: 
http://www.joniandfriends.org/daily-devotional] 

   We took our kids on an epic adventure 
this summer, from Arkansas to the West Coast, 
exploring as much of the country as we could before 
heading on up to the giant coastal redwoods of 
California. 
   Every little town up there has its own 
"drive-through tree" where people literally drive their 
cars through a giant redwood. We stopped at one 
of these tourist traps and stood in the 
man-made space. What kind of living thing sustains 
that much damage and keeps on standing? 
   We camped somewhere off the grid, near 
the Avenue of the Giants. When the sun came up, 
we felt like the first humans in a prehistoric 
world. The ferns were as tall as we were. And the 
trees - such trees - could only be called 
majestic. We walked around under them like ants. 
   The most interesting ones to me were 
those that had been hollowed out by wildfires. 
They had these massive rooms within them called 
goose pens, because the first settlers used them 
to house livestock. Fire had not stopped those 
trees. Their scars became useful to others as they 
kept on growing, straight up to the sky. 
   I realized that, in Jesus, I am like 
those trees. I've gone through fire that hurt and 
scarred - but it did not consume me, and no fire 
ever will. I'll keep standing, even growing and 
thriving. Because He is the One Who sustains my life. 
by Gwen Ford Faulkenberry 
   Faith Step: Plant something today that 
you can watch and nurture. Let it be a reminder 
to you of Jesus's faithfulness to keep bringing 
you new life and growth, even out of painful 
circumstances. [Mornings With Jesus 2019 Devotional by 
Guideposts and Zondervan] 

CLOSING THOUGHT

   Sometimes change feels like wading 
through a rushing river. But God promises he will 
not allow you to drown. God is with you, whether 
you feel it or not. Feelings aren't a reliable 
gauge of his presence. He will walk next to you 
and help you deal with whatever you're going 
through.  
   Moses told God, "If your Presence does 
not go with us, do not send us up from here" 
(Exodus 33:15). He knew the Israelites couldn't 
accomplish their mission without God's presence and 
help. God reassured Moses that he would absolutely 
go with them, and he kept that promise.  
   Step forward, confident in God's help 
that's only a prayer away. 
   God will make sure you get safely to the 
other side; he will be faithful to sustain you and 
put you on dry ground again. [The Daniel Plan 
365-Day Devotional] 

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE


http://www.abible.com/devotions/2015/20150928-2119.html 

YOUR COMMENTS

If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or 
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either 
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in 
hearing from you.  Thanks in advance and let's keep 
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred 
Gibbs