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. Isaiah 43:2
All have sinned. That is a given. Rebellion against God’s way has consequences that are devastating but God doesn’t leave because we fail.
Judah, a nation that thought it had assurance of protection no matter what it did, was destroyed by Babylon. Much of its population was taken into exile. The people were separated from their culture, their families, their place of worship, ……their home. Although this happened on a national scale, it was personal. It is personal today when our iniquities separate us from God’s blessing and presence. But, we are not forsaken. There is hope. Within this narrative of destruction comes the promise of deliverance from the bondage of sin and a king who will rule in peace.
God loves. He frees. When we have forfeited all right to love, God says, “I am here.” Isaiah reminds all, the God that led His people across the Red Sea to freedom from Pharaoh and across a scorching desert, sustaining them, feeding them and providing water from a rock, will continue to love, provide and keep those who choose to trust and obey.
Happy Tuesday,
Gretchen