Daily Devotional 9-15-26

Waiting Without Giving Up
Reading: Isaiah 43:1-3
But now, this is what the Lord says—
    he who created you, Jacob,
    he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, 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;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
    Cush and Seba in your stead.

Devotional: Isaiah 43:2 does not say "if" you pass through the waters. It says "when." Difficulty is not a detour from the life of faith. It is part of the journey. The question is not whether hard seasons will come but whether you will trust the One who promises to be present within them. Waiting is one of the most difficult things a person can be asked to do, because waiting reveals how little control we actually have. But the God who speaks in Isaiah 43 is not a God who watches from a distance. He is a God who walks through the water with you.

Personal Reflection: What are you currently waiting on? How is that season of waiting shaping your trust in God?