I Will Be With You In The Fire Isaiah 43:2
We all go through many fires in life hard times, horrible times. Sometimes God rescues us quickly. Other times, he allows us to go through the fires of life. Why? Let’s see how God uses those fires for His glory and for your good.
Isaiah 43:2 NIV
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.
Isaiah was a prophet. Through Him, God is reminding Israel (and now us) what God has done and will do.
00:00 Pass through waters
01:37 Pass through rivers
2:41 Walk through fire (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego)
7:15 Why We Need to Walk Through Difficult Times
7:28 1. For a Greater Purpose
9:46 2. To Build Christlike Character
10:29 3. To Learn Complete Dependence on God
1. Isaiah 43:2 begins: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you
How God made the Red Sea a highway for them to escape the Egyptian army that was pursuing them.
Exodus 14: 21-22
In Exodus 3, God promised Moses “I will be with you.” And God was.
2. Isaiah 43:2 continues: when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you
After 40 years of wandering in the desert, God told Joshua how the Israelites were to cross the flooding Jordan River on dry ground.
Joshua 3:14-17
In Joshua 1:9, God told Joshua: he would go with him. And he did.
3. And finally, Isaiah 43:2 says: When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
Isaiah’s words would be fulfilled about 100 years later through Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
They and Daniel stayed true to God. In 586 BC, Nebuchadnezzar, the man they served, attacked and destroyed the temple and the walls of Jerusalem and scattered the people of Judah all over Babylon. Jerusalem and the temple were now rubble. The nation of Judah was no more.
Now, any hopes or dreams they may have had of going back to Jerusalem were shattered. There was no going back.
Why God? Why? Why would these godly young men be forced into lives they never would have chosen. Ripped away from their families and their royal lives in Judah and forced to serve the man who destroyed everyone and everything they had ever known.
You may be asking God some “Why” questions about your own situation. Wait. Their story isn’t finished – neither is yours.
Nebuchadnezzar made a huge idol of gold, 90 feet high and 9 feet wide. He forced all the officials of Babylon to bow before this idol or be thrown into a fiery furnace.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow down. Nebuchadnezzar confronted them.
Daniel 3 (NLT)
17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. 18 But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”
[Nebuchadnezzar had them thrown into the furnace.]
24 But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, …
25 “Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!”
…
So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire. 27 Then the high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke!
Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled: ” When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
Nebuchadnezzar praised God after that and promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Why does God allow us to go through fires in life?
1. For a Greater Purpose. Sometimes, God needs us to go through some really tough times to achieve a purpose much greater than ourselves.
All the leaders of Babylon and the king saw the 4th man in the fire. All of them saw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego untouched by the flame.
Throughout history millions of people have heard this story and come to the realization that God is real and he will be with us as we walk through the fires of life?
God has plans for your life that go far beyond you, your comfort, your convenience, your pain, or even your life. God can do great things in our lives. Beyond our wildest imaginations if we trust Him to be with us in the fires of life.
2. Human character is forged in the fires of adversity.
Going through difficult times is how we discover our weaknesses and get stronger in God’s strength.
James 1:2-4
God allows struggles in life so we will grow strong in relationship with Him and so Holy Spirit can form Christlike character in us.
3. We learn complete dependence on God when we face the impossible.
Proverbs 3:5 NIV
Romans 8:28 NLT
Activation: See video.