Emerging from the Fire

“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.” Isaiah 43:2

 

This was one of the first Bible verses that God tucked deeply in my heart.  There was a lot going on and I rarely was peaceful on any given day during a tough season.  My dad had Prostate Cancer, my father-in-law had Alzheimer’s and my sister was diagnosed with Bile Duct Cancer.   Doctor visits, radiation, chemo and cognitive tests seemed to be a daily routine.  I remember one day during all this my son called from college informing me that his apartment had been robbed.  It was too much to endure but I had no choice but to keep putting one foot in front of the other.  

 

‘Passing through waters…walking through fire.’  Who out there hasn’t experienced or isn’t experiencing feelings of drowning…being overwhelmed by the currents sweeping over you…feeling engulfed by the flames of your situation?  God comforts us with the words of Isaiah when we are facing things that seem out of control.  He is so close to us and if we attune our eyes to Him, we can hear His whisper of truth and promise.  There is a beautiful song called Another in the Fire by Hillsong.  The words encourage us to see that there is another Person with us in the fire greater than the fire itself.  The words promise that there is another Person in the waters with us holding back the sea.  

 

Looking back at the season I described above I can see that I wasn’t in the fire alone.  Jesus was with me as I sat beside Beth in the chemo chair.  Jesus walked the halls of Hospice with me on a daily basis.  He was in the home with us as we cared for my father-in-law the last year of his life.  He sat in the waiting room with me as my dad was getting radiation.  I was never alone and was always reminded that the only thing that consumed me was the love of God.  You also have the same promises that Isaiah echoed from the Word.  When we lift our eyes to heaven and bend our knees in prayer, we are better able to feel the overwhelming presence of God.

 

There is always another Person in the fire with us, and His name is Christ Jesus who victoriously emerged from the fire.