The Lord says… “Don’t be afraid, because I have saved you. I have called you by name, and you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you cross rivers, you will not drown. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned, nor will the flames hurt you …Because you are precious to me… Don’t be afraid, because I am with you.” Isaiah 43:1-5 NCV
Why are we afraid? Is it the fear of the unknown? Could it be we are not in control? Maybe we do not respect someone else’s authority, or we do not trust the authority figure’s decision-making ability.
The book of Isaiah looks to the ultimate authority, the Messiah, where He calls us by name and reiterates, “You were mine. You belong to me and no one else. You are mine for all eternity.”
With Jesus as our Savior, who else should we look to for our spiritual guidance? The question is spiritual, and the answer is spiritual also, Jesus should be our guide.
When we are in a dilemma, which we often are, we should look to the Lord. Unfortunately, many times, we do not. We wait until we are over our heads in difficulties we cannot solve. Then, we go running for help because we are terrified. The events are beyond our management abilities.
It is interesting that verse two states, “I will be with you.” The Bible doesn’t say, “I will bail you out of your trouble.” Instead, the scripture reminds us; that the Lord will be with us in the deep waters of life. He will comfort, guide, and walk with us.
Why doesn’t he just solve the problem? Isn’t that what he’s supposed to do? Not necessarily. He is our companion. He knows what is best for all eternity. Sometimes, it means the result may not be what we first wanted, but the final result is for our eternal good. When we see as he sees, we will be at peace with ourselves and those around us.
