Perspective and Hope

"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 " (Isaiah 43:2).

It doesn't take long to notice that there are few people standing in the line of trials and tribulations. Our human nature does not like bad experiences, so we avoid them at all cost. God created us with a sense of paradise and perfection. Within every human heart is a longing for that immaculate world, or flawless situation. So troubles are not on our to-do list.

We don't like to experience less than favorable situations, and as a result we struggle. Most of our struggle comes from this faulty idea that we can achieve a trouble-free life. Two words in the above passage give perspective and hope when we find ourselves in trouble.

Perspective is challenged and corrected with the word "when." Faulty thinking comes when we believe that there is a probability of a trouble-free life. It's not "if" we face troubles, but "when" we face them that puts everything in the right perspective. It could be that the apostle James had this very passage in mind when he wrote these words, "Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds" (James 1:2).

Hope is strengthened by the word "through." The loss of hope is the greatest danger when going through a terrible ordeal in life. When hope is gone there is no inspiration to endure. It is hard to endure when you don't believe that you will get through the ordeal. The reason that we can be sure that you will get through the problem is found in these assuring words, "I will be with you." The Lord is with his children always. He delights in every detail of our life, and he is holding our right hand.  You will meet trials in life, especially as a child of God, but you can be assured that the Lord will get you through it.

Lord, you promise to get me through whatever problem I experience in life. Thank you for always being with me. Enable me to overcome fear by trusting in you to get me through whatever comes my way. Amen!