We will get through this.

Weekly Devotional Sharing with Pastoral Intern Calvin

Hi Church,

Today I want to share with you a verse from Isaiah 43:2 as our mid-week encouragement.

In Isaiah 43:2, God said,

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.

In Max Lucado’s book “You’ll get through this.” he said Through is a favourite word of God’s. And I think today, how important and comforting to know that God is with us through times of crisis and uncertainty.

To the Israelites, this verse brings to memory the story of their ancestor coming out of Egypt, and as they were escaping, they stopped in front of the Red Sea, cornered. God may have got them out of Egypt with signs and wonders, but it doesn’t mean their troubles were over. It doesn’t mean their life is going to be smooth sailing after they are out. Life is full of troubles, and Job (14:1), who is probably the spokesman for having a lot of horrible things happen to him reminds all of us,

“How frail is humanity!

How short is life, how full of trouble!

And again in the Psalms (88:1–3),

O LORD, God of my salvation,

I cry out to you by day.

I come to you at night.

Now hear my prayer;

listen to my cry.

For my life is full of troubles,

and death draws near.

When it rains, it pours. And today, all of us, collectively, are standing in the pouring rain. We all face the risk of being infected by the virus, we all face the economic fallout of not being able to work, being let go or unable to find work for the foreseeable future. All these are added on top of other troubles and challenges we may be facing, like the bad news from the doctor about a blood test, the declining health of our grandparents as they are further restricted from the social interactions they need, the divorce or broken marriage you are still in and so on and so on.

Life can be relentless, and unforgiving.

Yet, the God of Jacob, the God who foresee all the troubles we will go through, reminds his people that He is not a God who is only sometimes available and once-in-a-while present in our life. He’s not a God who is like a genie who can only grant us three wishes, three escapes out of hopeless situations. No, His power and love for us are not limited, but rather He is with us and continues to be present with us as we go through all the troubles and adversities throughout our entire life. His power does not diminish as we go from one trouble to another. And for the Israelites, God continues to show his grace and mercy for his people, as he parted the Red Sea and guided them through it.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;

And what about the fire? The flame in the next sentence?

when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,

and the flame shall not consume you.

I am reminded of the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3. The three Jewish young men who choose to be thrown into the fiery furnace rather than bowing to a golden idol as decreed by King Nebuchadnezzar. As they were thrown into the furnace that was seven times hotter than usual, God protected them and they were miraculously not consumed, burned or harmed in any way. When Nebuchadnezzar saw the one true God was with them, he praises the very same God we worship today.

As people of God, we rest our faith in a God who is alive and real. He does not abandon us in our time of need, and we are called to live as people of hope especially when hope seems out of reach. Today the people of God’s testimony are not just how God got us out of trouble, but it should be how God is with us throughout our times of struggles and distress.

And so these are my reflection questions for all of us today. Do you know the comfort of your God in your present situation? Is your anxiety overtaking you and if so, maybe this is an opportunity to lean more closely, to ask for a greater sensitivity to His presence during these times.

Lastly, and this is my challenge to us all, maybe this is a time where God’s people can really be people of hope. That we are not just people who share facts about our world’s crisis, but maybe this is the time where we are to share hope. The world has all the capabilities, the channels, and media to share news, updates, and facts already. In times such as this, Christians need to speak to something unique that the world can not offer. We need to speak to the Hope that is found in our Bible. A hope that goes beyond this pandemic or economic turmoil. We need to speak to our eternal God who is with his people through our most difficult time today and tomorrow.

Our God is with us, He will not let us be overwhelmed or consumed. Let that be our testimonies today.