“But now thus says, the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 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. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” Isaiah 43:1-3a
*Photo taken on a mission trip to Suriname, South America in 1999.
NeedtoBreathe is one of my favorite new bands. They have a track entitled, “Washed by the Water” and this song has really been ministering to me. They recently recorded an acoustic version and it is off the chain good. Check it out on MySpace: NeedtoBreathe
The first time I listened to this song my mind immediately went to Isaiah Chapter 43. It goes without saying that there are times when life comes at you fast; days when the rains fall; days when the flood starts rising; days when the storms come. Rain falls on the just and the unjust; meaning storms are no respecter of persons. Isaiah is preparing us for when those times come; not if they come. However, the promise for the just is the everlasting presence of the LORD. We see this in verse 2, “I will be with you.” Throughout Scripture God affirms His presence with His people. Psalm 46:1-11 is a personal favorite, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble…”
One thing from this passage that stands out like a fluorescent highlighter is the intense progression of the situation. There are two progressions: First, we see that God created, formed, redeemed, and called. Second, we see waters, rivers, and fire. There is a logical progression to what God is saying to His people. Let’s zoom in and look at this more closely.
The LORD God (Yahweh – the Covenant God), the Creator of the universe has spoken. We know that in creation He spoke everything into existence with the exception of man. God formed man with His hands using the dust of the earth and then breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. The opening chapters of Genesis predominantly use the Hebrew word adamah to refer to man. This term literally means “earth, ground, and land.” This is where we get the name Adam, which serves as a reminder that we are all formed from the dust of the earth. Let us think about that the next time we think we are better than someone else – we all came from the same dirt! What makes this dirt any better than that dirt?
The One who created us, formed us, redeemed us, and called us, now refers to us as one of His own. This language is picked up again by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 1:5 when he says that God has adopted us. In Christ, God sees us as His own child. In salvation, we are united in Christ and God gives us the spirit of adoption. Notice that Isaiah also uses the title Savior…don’t miss that! God is reiterating His plan of redemption that He revealed in Genesis 3:15, which says that in the fullness of time He would send One born of a woman to crush the head of the serpent. This is a Messianic prophecy that Jesus would come, live a sinless life, die on a cross, and rise again. The resurrection brought about the total crushing of the serpents head. In fact, right now as you read this article the serpent is jumping around like a snake with its head cut off. He is dead; He just hasn’t succumbed to it yet.
The Covenant God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has created us, formed us, redeemed us, and called us as one of His own. This progression is followed up by waters, rivers, and fire. God illustrated His care for the Children of Israel by giving them safe passage at the Red Sea (Ex. 14:21, 22) and Jordan River (Josh. 3:14-17). God also preserved the three Hebrew children from the fiery furnace in Daniel 3:8-30.
There are times in life when we find ourselves splashing around in waters. These are situations that come our way that cause stress, discouragement, and even pain. They splash up and get our pants leg wet. However, waters can quickly progress to rivers. Rivers often carry swift currents and can cause our boats to take in a lot of water. I have been whitewater rafting a number of times and have experienced a boat taking in a lot of water. I believe there are times in our life when God allows rivers to wash over our lives. He uses these times to remove things in our life that are unnecessary or hindering us in our intimate walk with Him. There may be times when we have to tread water by totally turning loose of security and comfort. In addition to waters and rivers, there is fire. These are often traumatic circumstances of life that include pain and loss. While there are times when God uses fire to bring judgment, it may also be used as a means of purification; a refiner’s fire.
The bottom line: For those who God has created, formed, redeemed, and called, He has also purposed for holiness. Holiness simply means to be set apart by God and for God. God’s desire is that His people would become more like Jesus and less like the world. He knows exactly what it will take to bring that to pass. He uses waters, rivers, and fire as a means to our holiness. When life gets intense or times of loneliness and despair are about to overwhelm us, we must remember the promise of His presence. While whitewater rafting with my youth group several years ago, I realized that our boat was taking in a lot of water, but yet, we were not sinking. The rafts were self-bailing; meaning that the boat was designed to naturally displace the water keeping it from sinking. It was impossible for the boat to take in too much water. God has designed us in Christ to be self-bailing; “No temptation has overtaken you that is common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with every temptation he will also provide a way of escape, that you may be able to endure it,” (1 Cor. 10:15 ESV).
Let me wrap this article up by giving you the key to walking through the waters, rivers, and fires of life. First, the Apostle John tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Actually in the Greek, it could be phrased, “…and God was the Word.” I like the emphasis. John is reaching all the way back to Genesis 1:1 affirming that God the Son was actively involved in creation. He is saying that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Word - the Word of Truth itself. Second, Jesus encounters the woman at the well in John Chapter 4. He tells her about living water that she can drink and never thirst again – water of eternal life available in Him. There is no eternal life apart from the Savior. Finally, in Ephesians 5:25-27 the Apostle Paul addresses husbands and wives loving one another and being presented as holy before God. He gives a direct command to husbands as spiritual leaders to “sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of the water of the word…” Jesus is our Savior. Jesus is the Word made flesh. Jesus is the Living Water. Jesus cleanses us from our sin in salvation and then sanctifies us by washing us in His Word. The key is Jesus.
Now let’s connect the dots: To stand firm in the waters, rivers, and fires of life, we must stand in Christ Jesus and upon His Word. Allow the waters and rivers to wash over us, knowing they will not overwhelm us. Allow the fires to burn, knowing the flames will not consume us. Allow God to wash us with the water of His Word. Knowing that the washing is necessary for holiness. See trials of life as opportunities to take a spiritual bath!
What will you do when the rain comes? What will you do when the flood starts rising? What will you do when the storms come? Will you be washed by the water?
