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December 5, 2022

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. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. (Isaiah 43:2-3) ESV.

As I read (Isaiah 43:2-3) this morning, I could not help but reflect on the state of our Nation and world at present; it seems that we are in a battle against evil. Moreover, as we reflect on our home circumstances, you may be wondering why my family is going through such hard times; after all, I am tithing, I am praying, I go to church, and with God’s help, we are raising our children right. The Lord, our God, says in (Isaiah 43:1) “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.” It is hard to stand on the promise in (v.1) when your business is failing despite your best efforts, or you may be a farmer and your crops have amounted to nothing this year, or you may have recently lost your job. Amidst all that, God is still saying to you, “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.” (vs. 2-3).

When we go through fiery trials, the Lord is right beside us to strengthen us. He is not punishing us; He may be chastising us, though as (Deuteronomy 8:5) suggests, “Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the LORD your God disciplines you.” “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Hebrews 12:6). What does chastening mean? Well, the Blacksmith takes hold of a piece of iron with his tongs and holds it in the fire until it is white-hot. Then he places the piece of iron on the anvil. He then takes a hammer and beats the iron. The process is repeated several times to make the steel resilient. When he is finished, it is strong and can perform its designed tasks.
        
Friends, if we have given our life to Christ, we can know that any hardship we may be experiencing right now can only serve to make us better able to serve God, our Father, and His purposes for our life. Would you join me in this Pray today?

Father, I submit myself to Your Will for my life today. I acknowledge that I am in a battle against the evil one. How grateful I am to have Your assurance that You have promised me that You have redeemed me and that I am Yours no matter what I may go through. Amen.


Encouraging Words: Faith makes things possible, not necessarily easy.

God Bless you and have a Blessed Day, Friends <><


Thoughts by Randall Stapleton is a Daily Devotion brought to you by The Bridge - Learn more at https://wearethebridge.org

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