God Will Be There

Isaiah 43:2

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

There are a few things this verse is not saying. This verse is not saying you won’t have to pass through the waters. This verse does not say that God will take you around the waters that seem to keep you from where His will is for your life. This verse is also not saying that you won’t go through the rivers. God never said the rivers you pass through won’t rise above your head. God knew His people would face situations that would seemingly drown them. Furthermore, this verse never says you won't have to go through the fire. Too many believe that they will never have to face the fire of hard times because they are saved.

However, this verse is saying that you will have to go through the waters of life. This verse is saying that you will have to pass through the rivers. This verse is also saying that you will have to walk through the fire. The Christian walk is not for the weak-hearted. God is warning us in this verse that we will have to go through hard times.

Moreover, this verse is not saying that the waters will be too swift for you to cross. This verse is not saying that the rivers will not rise on you. This verse is also not saying that the fire will not burn everything that goes into it. I want you to notice that God never said if you go through the waters. Please notice that God never said if you must go through the rivers. Likewise, God never said if you must walk through the fire. God did not say if these things happen; He said when these things happen. God is not being a prophet of doom to tell you that you will have to go through hard times, but He is being real with you to warn you that you will have to face these things in your life.

Oh, it seems overwhelming that God is telling us that these things will happen in our lives, but here comes the great promise. God says that when you go through the waters, I will be with thee. He says, when you pass through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee. God continues to say, when you pass through the fire, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

The great promise of this verse is that God will be with you no matter what you face in your life. The fact that God is with you means whatever you face will never overflow you. In other words, you are promised by God that the rivers will not drown you because He is with you. If God must, He will pick you up and carry you through the rivers, but He will not let them overflow you. The fact that God is with you means that when you face the fire, if He must, He will be like the hen that protects her chicks and keep the flame from touching you. Oh, He will take the heat of the flame for you, but it will never touch you.

My friend, the great secret to making it through the hardships of life is never to leave God’s side. God is with us, but if we leave Him, we must face these things in our own power. God’s promise means that if I leave His side, the rivers will overflow me and the fire will burn me. My protection is found in staying with God. Never let the hardships cause you to run, for it is then that you are on your own. Staying with God means you will have to go through these things, but these things will never harm you for God will be with you.