God has given us oodles of beautiful promises in the Bible, and as humans, we tend to desperately clutch onto them in our quest to have “a little heaven” on earth.
While it is true that God wants us to have a kick out of life, it is also true that our lives as believers will be peppered with various trials.
Just before his arrest and crucifixion, Jesus gave His disciples a raincheck on trials. He warned that they would face trouble in the world — but they were to be of good cheer, seeing that He had overcome (John 16:33).
The people of Judah were staring at an uncertain future, having been taken into exile by the Babylonians. They questioned whether Yahweh was truly God.
Why did He allow the temple to be destroyed, and why were they languishing in exile? In the middle of their turmoil, prophet Isaiah declares words of comfort and hope.
“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” (Isaiah 43:2).
These words of hope probably caused them to remember how God delivered their forefathers from the grip of the Egyptians. They recalled how God had miraculously parted the red sea with the Israelites walking on dry ground.
In hot pursuit, Pharoah and His army assumed they too could trudge down the miraculous path. But the sea went back to its place, and they were swept away.
So, when the people of Judah hear these words of hope, they get it. They get that God was with their forefathers as they passed through the waters. But is He with them in exile? They feel forgotten.
This feeling of being forsaken while muddling through challenges happens to the best of us. We wonder if God is aware of our distress and whether He is anywhere in sight.
Throughout the scriptures, God confirms that He is with us in our hour of need. Are you wondering if the Lord is with you as you pass through the waters? Here are four unassailable reassurances from the scriptures.
1. We Live in God
For in him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, we are his offspring (Acts 17:28).
Even before trouble rocks our boats, we need to remember that we live, move, and have our being in God in the first place. It is God who formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being (Genesis 2:7).
Jesus is the image of the invisible God and the firstborn of all creation. In Him, all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, thrones, powers, rulers, and authorities (Colossians 1:15-16).
Jesus reminded His disciples that none of them could add a single hour to their lives. All that we are and have is because of God. Even the hairs on our heads are all numbered (Luke 12:7). The concept of feeling abandoned loses its grip when we remember that we live because of Him.
In His great distress, Job dared question God’s sovereignty and power to deliver. He felt that God Had lost control of the Universe and was unable to pull him out of the murky waters.
He recounted his righteous walk and reminisced on the days when he enjoyed good health and great prosperity.
The days he felt that God was with him. He bitterly complained, wondering why God had turned a blind eye to his distress.
God's answer caught Job flat-footed, totally throwing him for a loop. God detailed the intricacies of the universe and sought to know whether Job was privy to how creation falls into place (Job 38:16-18).
Completely dumbfounded, Job admitted his limitation in his understanding. His eyes popped open to God's sovereignty and majestic power, and he pleaded for forgiveness.
Job’s experience teaches us that God never loses control of His creation. Not just when we are writhing in trouble but even when all is well.
It is in Him that we live, move, and have our being. So, whether we are sailing smoothly or the waves are pounding furiously with our boats threatening to keel over, God is right there through it all.
2. God Is Close to the Broken Hearted
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18).
As a mom, it breaks my heart when my kids fall ill. I do everything in my power to console them and help alleviate the pain.
I trash all my plans to be with them in the hospital, reassuring and pacifying them. Sometimes I will even snuggle in bed with them at night, just to keep a closer eye on them. I am pretty sure they relish the attention I smother on them when they are ill and distressed.
God is a good father. He doesn't turn a blind eye to us when we are in distress. As a matter of fact, our pain attracts Him.
Paul boasted about his weaknesses because it was then that he sensed Christ's power resting strongly on him (2 Corinthians 12:9).
God says that a broken and contrite Spirit He will not reject (Psalm 51:17). Our helplessness draws Him in.
Furthermore, we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15). We can rest assured that God is present with us in our point of weakness.
3. God Doesn't Allow the Enemy to Prevail Over Us
If the Lord had not been on our side let Israel say. If the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us, they would have swallowed us alive — when their anger flared against us; the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, the raging waters would have swept us away (Psalm 124:1-5).
The reason the enemy did not take you out is that God was right there with you as you passed through the waters. Otherwise, the enemy would have had a field day, completely annihilating you.
Paul said that though we are hard-pressed on every side, we are not crushed. We are perplexed but not in despair. We are persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).
The enemy can only afflict you to the extent that God permits Him. Satan had to seek permission to afflict Job. God allowed him to prey on Job’s possessions, children, and health. However, God did not allow Satan to touch his life.
God does not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear. David declared that the Lord protects the righteous man and none of His bones are broken (Psalm 34:20). God preserves the righteous and is with them as they muddle through the waters.
4. God Is a Present Help
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1-3).
Imagine this. Your child's school is holding a musical show, and your child has been zealously practicing playing the violin. The big day comes, and you, unfortunately, get to her school late, missing her sterling performance. Your child is shattered.
Unlike us, God doesn't show up late when we are going through trouble. He is an ever-present help. His eyes are on the righteous, and His ear is attentive to their cry.
He is in touch with the most miniature detail of your life. He said He will never leave or forsake you, and we can trust Him to be present through the varying seasons of our lives.
For further reading:
Where Does Our Help Come From?
What Does it Mean to Walk in the Valley of the Shadow of Death?
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/rodehi
