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." From what I have heard, the first portion of this verse is intended to relate to Israel being led out of Egypt across the red sea and the last half is referring to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being thrown into the furnace. However, I think this verse could have a broader application in addition to the traditional interpretation.

Trials come at any time, with any severity, and in any number. The flames of my trial may be hotter than yours; the waters of your trial may be deeper than mine. But God has promised to keep us through them all. Read the verse again the see how many promises you can find. 1) He will be with us through the waters, 2) the rivers will not sweep over us, 3) we will not be burned in the fire, and 4) the flames will not set us ablaze. But this raises a few questions: how literally can we take this verse and when we say that God will keep us, what does that really mean?

Roman Emperor Diocletian appeared on the scene in AD 303 and conducted one of the most bloody persecutions in Christian history. The Reformation, which began in 1517 sparked a new wave of persecution in Europe. Marcus and Narcissa Whitman were martyred in 1847 while endeavoring to reach the Indians of the Oregon Territory. Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, and their fellow missionaries died on the beaches of Ecuador on January 8, 1956. Graham Staines, a missionary to India and his two sons were burned to death in their Jeep, 1999. Did God keep all of these people? At first, it may not seem like it; these Christians were brutally killed for their faith. But what about their souls? The Christian's soul is not affected by what is done to his body. I think this is what is meant when we say that God "keeps us." He does not promise that we will never face trials; that life will not be hard; that we will not be persecuted or killed for the sake of Christ. But he does promise that no matter what trials he has for us, our soul is eternally secured. This is far more reassuring than a promise of a life without difficulty. Some of the most precious lessons are learned through trials. Along that same note, The Voice of the Martyrs has written a book called Hearts of Fire that I would highly recommend. It is about eight Christian women who were persecuted for their faith and about the lessons that they learned through trials. One of the women is Sabina Wurmbrand, another is Gladys Staines, wife of the formerly mentioned Graham Staines. This book was a real blessing to me in putting trials in perspective.