Take a Walk with Me - Pt. 8

 

But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, 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 Savior. (Isaiah 43:1-3 ESV).

 

Springtime in the Smokies can swell the rivers with water from runoffs originating higher in the mountains. This picture was taken in along the Chattahoochee River on the North Carolina side of the Great Smoky National Park. I was walking along the edge trying to get a picture of a bull elk I had seen making his way ahead of me. I had seen him cross the river ahead and thought I could get to a clear spot quick enough. Obviously, that didn’t happen; and fortunately, my brain engaged and kept me from trying to cross. Wading through moving water can be dangerous.

 

Some “rushing rivers” can’t be avoided though. In our reading from Isaiah, God assures his people of his presence and protection. When the challenges and crises of life stand in their way like a rushing river, says the Lord, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” Using the imagery of surging waters and raging fire, God promises that his people will not be overwhelmed. Later in this chapter, God recounts how he kept Israel safe from the deep waters and the army of Pharaoh when they crossed the Red Sea (cf. Exodus 14). God also promises to protect his people from the surging destruction of their own sins. He promises to blot those sins out and to remember them no more.

 

God, who created us and knows our weaknesses, promises to love us and protect us from dangers both outside and within our own hearts. We see God’s faithfulness to his people and, above all, in his Son, Jesus, who fulfills all of God’s promises.