Going Through Deep Trouble

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.

Isaiah 43:2

SURELY ONE OF the most relaxing moments in life is being buoyed by a soft inner tube in a swimming pool or river—with the sun warming you from above and the water keeping your body cool from beneath.

When we’re floating in a pool or river, it doesn’t matter how deep the water is beneath us or what’s going on under the surface. We’re usually oblivious to all of that as we just relax on the tube and let the water carry us along.

Have you ever gone through deep waters in your own life? Perhaps you’ve faced the running rapids of illness or discouragement or some other tough or traumatic situation. At such times, the waters threaten to overwhelm you, to drown you.

At such times we should take the words of this verse to heart. Our waters may be deep, but God will not let us drown. In fact, he pulls us through those challenges, much like the water carries our tubes along. If we relax and let him carry us, we don’t have to struggle.

When the challenges of life seem too deep to handle, let’s relax and realize who’s carrying us and will protect us in the floods and fires of life.