“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” (Isaiah 43:2–3 NLT)

Have you ever gone through a hard time and wondered where God was? I can tell you where He was: He was right there with you. Not only that, but He will be with you tomorrow and the day after. And He will be with you on the day you leave this earth for Heaven.

In Isaiah 43:2–3, God says, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior” (NLT).

You’ll notice that He doesn’t say, “I will keep you in the shallow end.” He doesn’t say, “I will make sure that you stay on the riverbank.” He doesn’t say, “I will keep you a safe distance from the fire.” God doesn’t promise comfort. The paths He lays out for us aren’t always smooth and level. He doesn’t guarantee a life free from failure, devastation, pain, anxiety, loneliness, or doubt. He guarantees that you will never face any of those things alone. You will never have to rely solely on your own strength to endure any of them.

The psalmist David wrote, “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me” (Psalm 23:4 NLT). God is with you. He will be with you. You don’t have to fear evil. God will be with you on your good days and on your bad days. He will be with you in your grief of a lost loved one and in your joy of a baby’s birth.

You don’t have to be afraid. Jesus said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you” (Hebrews 13:5 NLT). Also, the Bible tells us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8 NLT). There will never come a time when He changes His mind and leaves you.

Sometimes when we pray, it may seem as though God is late in answering. Sometimes when God comes through for us, it is later than we expected. God is never late. His delays are delays of love. Even God’s silence can be a silence of love. He wants us to pour our hearts out to Him. He will enter into that pain with us. He will answer in the way He chooses. Call on Him.

Reflection question: What does it mean to you that God is always present in the midst of pain, suffering, and struggle? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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