God is With Us!

God is With us!

 

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 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. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”

Isaiah 43, vs. 1-3

During the Season of Advent, it is easy to forget for a little while what we remember the rest of the Christian year, that Jesus hung on the cross in the ultimate act of self-sacrifice to take away our sins. For a few weeks, as we wait in joyful anticipation of our Savior’s birth, we put away the dark reminders of his last painful hours on this earth as a man, and we remember the significance of the bright starlight that guided the shepherds and Magi to his crib in Bethlehem.

God promised to be with us as we passed through the waters of life, through raging rivers of tragedy, and burning flames of despair! He promised that we will not drown in our sorrows and struggles, and we will not be consumed by the powers that would destroy us.

God is with us!! 

Hurricanes, tsunamis, and earthquakes kill thousands of people, and winter storms wreak havoc among isolated populations. AIDS continues to leave behind a trail of orphans in Zimbabwe and other countries in Africa, and throughout the world.

All over the world, events are happening, and I don't have time to read them all. It is too overwhelming for me to even think about it all.

I want to know, but I don't want to know. Sometimes when I am feeling like I have "too much on my plate," I forget to look around to see what others have on their plates.

God did not promise to take away our struggles in this world, but He did promise to be with us through it all. We are strengthened by a word of understanding just when we think we cannot walk another yard. We are supported by the outstretched hand of a companion, whether stranger or friend, sent to help us just when we are about to collapse.

As the trials of living shape us, we are forged into the person God wants us to be.

 

Prayer: Lord, our Creator and our Savior, we come this day in joyful anticipation of the birth of Jesus. Thank you for sending the One who would change our lives and make us whole. Amen

 

The Refining Fire by Ron DiCianni