When, Not If!

When, Not If!

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. Isaiah 43:2 KJV

It has to be emphasised again that God will punish sin, no matter in whom it is found. Some people can lay claim to having God's exclusive hotline, where they can call him anytime, yet will live in and love sin. Israel was God's divine choice, yet it suffered greatly due to its sin. God rejected Israel and handed it over to enemies who pillaged and plundered it, and if God could deal with his own chosen people like that, please note that God has no favourites when it comes to sin.

There is yet another side of God that we must mention, and that is His mercy. He punished Israel, yet He was the One who restored them. He rejected them, yet He called them back to Himself. It is that mercy that cannot be explained, which we enjoy by virtue of God's nature, not of our own labour. We couldn't deserve or earn it, but God freely bestowed it anyway. And it is that mercy that should make us fear God. If He can show mercy, so can He show judgment.

And today's extract underscores that mercy. These words are addressed to people He had rejected, but was now calling back to Himself. I note that the word 'When' is used here, not if. There is a certainty about storms, wind and fire. They are a part of the structure called 'life'. The days of trouble are coming, and victory will be determined by the person going with you on that journey. You can't go through the storms alone; in fact, no man will go alone. You are either with or without God. There is a choice of companion that I have to make. God tells me all that I stand to gain if He goes with me.

The end of the experiences are laid out. I will go through them, but they will not define my life. This is where it gets hard. I read the promises, and I wonder about men like Stephen, James and Paul, who were killed by a mob, a morbid king Herod and the mighty power of Rome respectively. Can you say that their end was good? Actually, pause for a moment and ask where they ended?  These men are heroes of faith today, and their lives challenge us to hold on to God, no matter what the physical realities around us are.

In the midst of the distress, I hold on to the promises of safety and protection from God. I rest assured in the confidence that no matter what the now looks like, tomorrow will be better. That tomorrow may not end up the way you wanted or planned it, but you can be sure that it will end up in the way God has planned, and if I walk with Him, my eternity is assured. I note this is a personal walk: different people, but one God; different physical realities, but one eternal life. May God give me grace to walk with Him daily. May I receive grace to hold on to the end. May His peace rest on all I do, so that no matter how the storms, wind and fire rage, my heart is at rest in the One who presence can calm any storm, and take me into eternal rest. His time of favour is here.