But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.

O Israel, the one who formed you says,

“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.

I have called you by name; you are mine.

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 43:1-2

Did you notice anything about what those verses DIDN’T promise? They promised a lot of things, but there is something that they very clearly DIDN’T promise that many people seem to think God SHOULD have promised. Can you figure out what it is? Read the verses again and see if you can figure it out…

These verses promise God’s provision and protection… but they don’t promise it INSTEAD of difficulty, they promise it INSPITE of difficulty.

See, the verses don’t say that God will keep us from deep waters… instead they say WHEN we go through deep waters, God will be with us. They don’t promise that we won’t have to pass through rivers of difficulty, but they DO promise that God will keep us from drowning. They don’t promise that we won’t have to walk through the fires and flames of oppression and tribulation… instead they promise that we won’t be burned up or consumed.

Friends, the Bible doesn’t promise that we will be spared from difficulty. On the contrary, it communicates that we WILL (not that we might) go through periods of GREAT DIFFICULTY. The promise is that the Lord Himself will see us through these times! He has made and formed us, ransomed us and called us by name; we can be assured that He will care for us, and even in the face of great difficulty and danger, we have NOTHING to fear.