Trusting God through Deep Waters and Fire - Your Nightly Scripture - October 17th
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Trusting God through Deep Waters and Fire
Evening Scripture
Isaiah, Chapter 43
But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, 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 Saviour.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.
Because you are precious in my sight,
and honored, and I love you,
I give people in return for you,
nations in exchange for your life.
Do not fear, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you;
I will say to the north, ‘Give them up’,
and to the south, ‘Do not withhold;
bring my sons from far away
and my daughters from the end of the earth—
everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.’
Bring forth the people who are blind, yet have eyes,
who are deaf, yet have ears!
Let all the nations gather together,
and let the peoples assemble.
Who among them declared this,
and foretold to us the former things?
Let them bring their witnesses to justify them,
and let them hear and say, ‘It is true.’
You are my witnesses, says the Lord,
and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor shall there be any after me.
I, I am the Lord,
and besides me there is no savior.
I declared and saved and proclaimed,
when there was no strange god among you;
and you are my witnesses, says the Lord.
I am God, and also henceforth I am He;
there is no one who can deliver from my hand;
I work and who can hinder it?
Thus says the Lord,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
For your sake I will send to Babylon
and break down all the bars,
and the shouting of the Chaldeans will be turned to lamentation.
I am the Lord, your Holy One,
the Creator of Israel, your King.
Thus says the Lord,
who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,
who brings out chariot and horse,
army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:
Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.
I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
The wild animals will honor me,
the jackals and the ostriches;
for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
the people whom I formed for myself
so that they might declare my praise.
Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob;
but you have been weary of me, O Israel!
You have not brought me your sheep for burnt-offerings,
or honored me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with offerings,
or wearied you with frankincense.
You have not bought me sweet cane with money,
or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins;
you have wearied me with your iniquities.
I, I am He
who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,
and I will not remember your sins.
Accuse me, let us go to trial;
set forth your case, so that you may be proved right.
Your first ancestor sinned,
and your interpreters transgressed against me.
Therefore I profaned the princes of the sanctuary,
I delivered Jacob to utter destruction,
and Israel to reviling.
Evening Reflection
Isaiah 43 is a powerful word of redemption. The exile had left Israel feeling abandoned and dismissed by God. Everything around them seemed to communicate that reality. The fires, the waters, the struggle. Surely God had divinely cut them off.
It’s easy to feel that way. We live in a world that tells us that those who are blessed live on easy street, that God’s love is revealed through abundant blessings and problem-free lives. But if we think this way, we miss one of the most inspiring and comforting truths of Scripture: in the midst of life, despite the storms and the fires we go through, God is present. Not only is God present, God makes a way through our struggle.
See, the love of God isn’t a love that removes us from the difficulties of life. If this were the case, then storms and struggles would tell us that God’s love was absent. No, God’s love enters those times and helps us walk through them.
God declares to Israel “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.” This is the promise of God. It harkens back to Isreal’s experience in the Exodus; it was declared to them in the midst of the Exile, and it is a truth declared to us today. God, our maker and our redeemer, comes to us. He does not remain distant, but journeys with us. And because we know that God’s spirit surrounds us, despite what we may go through, we can trust that we will make it through.
True, God doesn’t stop the fires and storms, and these things can be hard to go through. But God never leaves us abandoned. God never dismisses us. God comes in love, and in healing. What if upon the places where we feel wasted and lifeless, God is already present, loving us, sustaining us, empowering us. What if God pours the life-giving water of His spirit upon us? Could we drink it up? Could we trust in the Lord’s spirit for the next part of our journey?
Evening Prayer
Almighty God,
The storms of my life can cause me to be afraid. As I walk through my days in this complicated world, I can feel like life crashes into me. There are times where I feel the hurts and the wounds of this world so deeply. And in those times, I know it is easy to turn away from you, believing that you don’t care for me.
But, O Jesus, the cross declares that you are never separated from the wounds of life. You take on the chaotic waters of our existence; you bear the fire of our wounded selves – all so that you can bestow upon all who come to your endless grace and mercy.
This night, in this moment, Lord, I open myself to your grace. I trust in your mercy, and I invite your Spirit into my life. Help me live in faithful trust of your love, and your presence – and give me the boldness to follow where you lead.
Amen.
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Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
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