Isaiah 43:2 NIV: 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.
The question is never whether you will go through hard things or even when; usually, the question is how many hard things! I’m not sure where people of faith got the idea that somehow being good or believing in God would spare them from crisis. I haven’t found that verse yet. Instead, this is one of many passages in the Bible that references disaster. The writer says three times in this verse alone, “When you…” Notice it’s not “If you” or “That one time you.” The implication is that we will face many difficult things in our lives.
Yet, most find this verse an encouragement—why? There are several reassurances in this verse that I cling to. First and foremost, God promises to be with us. Being with means not watching from afar but being near and actively working to bring comfort, encouragement, and healing. Knowing we are not alone as we go through something traumatic grants us hope and the strength to make it through.
We can absorb the other promises in this verse metaphorically. When flooded by the waters of worry, depression, loneliness, or terror that hardships bring, he promises we won’t be overwhelmed or drown.
When we face a crisis, like a fire, that seems pervasive, destructive, and often unexpected, while there will be heat and choking smoke, the flames will not leave a mark. The word in Hebrew for burn means to brand or scorch – permanently destroying the skin. He also promises the fire won’t set us ablaze, meaning in Hebrew, we won’t be consumed. So often, in the midst of great pain, we wonder if we will be depleted, if there will be anything left, or if there is ever an end to it. The answer is an emphatic yes; it will end, and you won’t be consumed.
What feels like a tidal wave, or rising waters, to you right now? What crisis is causing heat and destruction? Do you feel grief, anger, or fear? Cling to this promise that you will make it through without drowning, being permanently scarred, or being utterly consumed, and that God himself is with you.
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