Preserved!

Preserved!

Isaiah 43:2 AMP

[2] “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you.

The verses before the one above do not look good. Israel had sinned, and the God who is faithful to His Word had applied the due and just punishment for sin. He had warned His people several times, through several men who had prophesied about the punishment that was coming on the people, but, as is the case with God's people, they would not heed or change their ways. Enemies who could not dare face Israel now became their masters and conquerors. Emphasis has tp keep being made that God has no favourites when it comes to sin, and He will punish it, no matter in whom it is found. This is where Israel found itself; as it was true then, so it is true now. 

This is what sin does: it takes away all your strength and support, and opens you up to attacks. Let it be known that no one can escape the punishment that unconfessed sin brings. It will definitely be waived if the person repents and turns to God, but it will remain in place if one does not seek God's forgiveness. Now, there is another dimension that the verse above lays out, and that is the impact and effect of the mercy of God. There is a place for judgment, but there is a place for mercy that can change the obvious end and give a different outcome. It is this mercy that speaks here, and it is available to all who seek it. Would you seek Him today? 

The interesting thing about the verse above is that it was not said to people you would call perfect. These were people who had done wrong and were being punished. The thing about God that makes Him unique is the fact that He keeps in mind that I am human. He makes allowances for my humanity, yet He supplies sufficient grace for whatever is His demand on and from me. He will not leave me on my own, or allow me stumble through life. He will not demand from me that which He has not first supplied grace for. He also keeps an eye on the eternal, whilst sorting out the challenges of the present, and the mistakes of the past.

If it were man, mistakes would have been irreversible, but with God, He does not hold grudges with my past. He is always ready and willing to supply all that I need for the journey that is ahead. As the verse above makes clear, it is not a matter of IF, but WHEN. Things will not always go the way I plan, but I have a God who does not change like the weather. When I pass through the waters, He does not leave me to sort it out on my own; He is with me. When I walk through fire, He promises to keep me from being scorched, or the flame burn me. What awesome promises are these. I can look ahead to whatever comes my way, as long as God is inside of me. My inner content drives my outer stability. God's time of favour is here.