Love: Week Four – Day Four
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 (NRSV)
Lately, it seems as if everyone is obsessed with superheroes. There are new superhero movies out several times a year, and every streaming platform has their own show following the antics of a superhuman crusader. Maybe you follow Agents of Shield, The Boys, or The Umbrella Academy.
This verse from Isaiah reminds me of superheroes. It comes to us as a promise from God. It’s written as a bit of poetry and says that God will be with us in times of trial to prevent us from getting hurt. The way it is written, it sounds like whenever we are confronted by a challenge, God will allow us to breeze right through it like Wonder Woman or Superman. This verse reminds me of the age-old saying that God won’t give you more than you can handle. By the way, that saying isn’t actually in the Bible, and I have to disagree.
The focus of today’s passage is not God’s protection from harm. Rather, we are supposed to pay attention to the five little words, “I will be with you.” Here’s the thing: there will definitely be times in life when you feel like you’ve got more than you can handle. In the Bible, God gave people more than they could handle all the time, and, this year, everyone feels like they’ve got way more than they can handle. Instead, God promises that He will be with us when challenges come our way. He promised to walk through raging rivers and fierce flames by our side. With God we will survive. More than that, with God we will have salvation.
Despite what we see in TV and movies, there has only ever been one super human to walk the earth. That Hero’s origin story includes being born in a barn and sleeping in a manger. He was a lowly peasant who suffered just like us. But the whole world knows and celebrates His story more than any hero in history. Take time today and reflect on how Jesus has been a hero in your life.
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