Isa 43:1 But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called [thee] by thy name; thou [art] mine.
Isa 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I [will be] with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

The Redeemed: “I created … formed … redeemed thee and called thee by my name.” yes, you were created and formed by God Almighty. You have given your life to Christ and you have been redeemed. You are a Christian. You have all the riches and glory in Christ Jesus (Eph 3:8, Phil 4:19, Col 1:27) because of Christ’s sacrifice for you on the cross. God loves you (1Jn 4:16) and He dwells in you by the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13, 1Cor 6:19).

Definite Inevitable Challenges: In the above verses, the word “when”, not “if”, was used. Hence, it is definite that we would pass through the waters, rivers, fire and flames. Therefore, we must stop thinking that just because we are Christians, we are exempted from the challenges of life. It is absolutely normal for us to pass through challenges, whether we caused them or not. Notice also that the verse says “through the rivers … through the fire”. This implies that we have to follow “through” to the very end of the challenge. There are no mini-escape routes anywhere, but, we have to go through to the very end. Whenever, you face a challenge, do not ask “why me?” but ask “why not me?”

Comfort: We have comfort in that the verse says “… I am with thee …” Therefore, we can trust that God knows we are passing through the challenge and He will ensure that “… they shall not overflow thee … ” and “… thou shall not be burnt, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee”.

Faith and Peace: “In this world, you shall have tribulation: be of good cheer, I have overcome the world (Jn 16:33)” “My peace I leave with you … (Jn 14:27)”. God has given His Word; Jesus has spoken. He has overcome the world. Therefore, this is the victory we have, even our faith (1Jn 5:4). It is a must we walk by faith and not by sight (2Cor 5:7). We should not walk by the sight of the challenges around us, but, we should walk faith and peace through the challenges. This is part of what makes us different from unbelievers when they face challenges in life.

Glory: “The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (Rom 8:18)”. After facing challenges, persecutions, etc. for Christ and Kingdom’s sake, we will receive glory in this world and the world to come (Lk 18:30). Moreover, the glory to come after this world is nothing compared to the present challenges we face. This is part of what makes us different from unbelievers.

T-Ralph
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