Passing Through

“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. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” Isaiah 43:2-3

This passage continues to beckon me as I face life with Christ. Many people feel that walking with Christ guarantees liberty and freedom from difficulties. So it is no wonder that they doubt God when adversity emerges. Based on their suffering, they question the whereabouts of God, feeling abandoned and excluded from His promises. The Bible states over and over again to expect suffering when we choose to fellowship with Christ. We cannot enjoy the benefits of Christ without experiencing the suffering. Our suffering summons God’s presence and His all transcending ability to deliver us through love.

It is similar to my marriage as Bruce and I face life together head on. We enjoy each other’s presence, our time together and both the friendship and intimacy of our marriage. A big part of our intimacy and love is the bond we developed while walking through the trials together of past experiences. We have cried together, prayed together, despaired together and hoped together. We have longed for and believed in a better day. There is no other tool that carves, deepens and moves the heart like holding hands and walking through pain together with Christ in the center. It knits the fibers of two hearts together forming a permanent bond in the relationship.

The same is true with our intimacy with Christ. As He walks with us, hurts with us, cries with us and hopes with us our relationship with Him is transformed and permanently bonded together in heart and spirit.

To be burned is to be permanently scarred without reversal. While He states that we will walk through the fire He also promises that we will not be burned. He will not leave us with our wounds but will heal, restore and release us from our suffering. When struggling with feelings that God has forgotten you in your suffering recite the above passage in personal terms and believe it intellectually even if you don’t feel it. He will not let you down. I will include the beginning of this passage in the reversal reciting to God His promises to us.

You created me, you formed me. You have summoned me by name. I am Yours. When I pass through the waters, You will be with me; and when I pass through the rivers, I will not be swept over. When I walk through the fire, You will not allow me to be burned; the flames will not set me ablaze. For You are my Lord, my God and You are my Savior.
“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed.” John 20:29