DEVOTION – DAY 547

Isaiah 43:2 “God Is Our Source Of Strength”

Isaiah 43:2 “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.”

In Isaiah 43:1, the Lord spoke through His prophet Isaiah to remind His people that He had created and formed them. They do not need to fear, for God had redeemed them. In v2 above, just as God had protected His people as they crossed the Red Sea escaping the Egyptian army, God also protected His people as they crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land. God had saved them from the waters and they were not swept away by the rivers. God also sovereignly protected Daniel and his two friends as they were thrown into the blazing furnace. They came out of the furnace unscathed. The flames did not consume them. God used these examples to remind His people that they can trust in Him for their protection, and that they need not fear anything even when they face all kinds of adversities. If the people are faithful to Him, God is always faithful and He will come to their assistance.

We know a woman who had 5 young children. The whole family lived in a small flat. She did odd jobs to earn a living at the General Hosp. During the racial riots in 1960’s in KL, her husband was caught up in it, and he never returned home. He was presumed killed by unknown people. She was devastated. She could only cry out to God. God strengthened her and enabled her to single-handedly raise her 5 children. She made sure they had proper schooling. There was always food to feed her family. Looking back, she realized that God had faithfully watched over her as she raised her children. All her children became Christians. She knew she would not have been able to survive without the Lord guiding her and giving her the strength to be the single parent to raise her children to adulthood. She was called home to be with the Lord when she was in her late 80’s. Her children and grandchildren all gave testimonies to how she had been an inspiration for the whole family. Her life had been a powerful testimony to God’s faithfulness over her, and how God had enabled her to survive through much hardships to emerge to give Him the glory.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we praise you for you are faithful and over help in times of need. We pray that we will always fix our eyes upon you and you alone, to trust in you and not lean on our own understanding. We humbly ask this of you in the great name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Questions

  1. How has God helped you in a time of need? Share.
  2. Why is it better for us to trust in God’s strength and provision than to trust in our own contacts and resources to overcome challenges in our lives? Discuss.
  3. How does this verse and devotional help you to place your trust in God for all circumstances? Discuss. 
  4. What are some of God’s attributes that you can learn from Isaiah 43:1-2?