But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 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. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. Isa. 43:1-3
Heavenly Father, your Word is a balm for the broken, ballast for the bewildered, and bread for the hungry. This isn’t just our theology; it’s our doxology—our heart song and soul salve. You’ve promised to “show up” and be enough, and you are. In the storms of life, you are nearer than the storms themselves. And for our friends in Florida today, this is VERY good news.
As Isaiah reminds us, you’ve created us for your glory, and you’ve redeemed us as your treasure. You subpoenaed us to life in the gospel, and have given us the sweetest name imaginable—“You are Mine.” No more condemnation for our sins, or Father-less living; no more giving into fear, or making a name for ourselves. We are yours and your banner over us is love.
Father, you don’t promise we won’t experience hurricanes and floods, fiery seasons and difficult days. But you do promise you’ll be with us, and that we won’t suffer ultimate harm. You are at work in all things for your glory, and our good. To know you are near and to know you are good is all we really need to know. We will go anywhere and do anything, as long as we’re convinced that you’re with us and for us.
We know ourselves to be “precious and honored in your sight,” because of what you’ve done for us in Jesus. And since you didn’t spare your own Son, we can trust you graciously to give us everything else we need (Rom. 8:32), in current storms and future difficulties. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ triumphant and trustworthy name.