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
Many of you, like me, have seen the pictures and watched the videos of the wildfires engulfing California, especially Los Angeles. The scene is horrific. The loss of property will be calculated in the billions of dollars. And the loss of life, which as of this morning is 24 people, is only likely to increase in the days to come. It is certainly a time to weep with those who weep.
One aspect of the pictures and videos which stands out to me is the consuming nature of the fire. Look at an image of people or buildings that are completely surrounded by flames. It gives you a sense of how uncontrollable and unpredictable the situation is. Imagine looking all around you and seeing nothing but towering infernos. I can almost feel the fear welling up inside me thinking about it.
The prophet Isaiah used the images of fire and water (symbolizing chaos and evil) in his words to God’s people. Some actually walked through fire (think the three young men in Daniel). Others passed through the waters, significantly in the Exodus deliverance from Egypt. But more often than not, the imagery refers to the trials and tribulations we face in this life. It is the circumstances that lead us to fear and anxiety.
Isaiah doesn’t promise that there will never be waters and fire. It is the position assumed not only by him but the Scriptures as a whole. But he gives us two footholds on which to stand in the midst of the waters and the fire. First, we are not alone; God is with us (I will be with you). And second, God is sovereign over all circumstances. The reason they won’t overwhelm or burn or consume is because they are not independent forces free to do as they will. They are ruled over by the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
But let us take care. This is no absolute guarantee that we will always escape the temporal waters and fire. The biblical text and the history of the church are replete with examples of those who were martyred for their faith, some literally burned at the stake. But let us not leap to a wrong conclusion. Those of our brothers and sisters who suffered such an end were not abandoned by God. He was present with them even as they were overcome.
That is a hard truth of the life of faith. We must be like those three young men cast into the fiery furnace. On one hand, they had confidence that God would save them. Our God will save us, they declared. But not knowing what God might actually do, they followed that statement by saying, But even if he doesn’t, we will not bow to your idol. May God grant us the courage to pass through whatever waters or walk through whatever fires we face in this life. May we do so with confidence that He is with us and will never leave or forsake us, regardless of the outcome. And may we face our fears with the great hope that even if the waters and fires overcome us, it is not our end for we have eternal life secured for us by Jesus and no waters or fires can ever separate us from Him.
