When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you. Isaiah 43:2 (NASB, emphasis added)
Everyone faces challenges and hardships at different points in their lives, but the important thing is to continue to trust God in the midst of those storms. In Isaiah 43:2 notice the words “when” and “through”. It shows us that difficulties are inevitable but they are temporary and we need the mindset that we are going through them and out the other side. “Through” is actually one of God’s favourite words. No matter how ‘rough and tough’ things may be, God is bringing you through.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4 (NASB, emphasis added)
Passing through the Valley of Weeping (Baca), they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with blessings. Psalm 84:6 (AMP, emphasis added)
I noticed in the news that one of the world’s longest and deepest rail tunnels has officially opened in Switzerland and apparently is 35 miles long. That’s quite a distance to be in a tunnel and sometimes in life our troubles make us feel like we are in an endless tunnel. It’s never easy or enjoyable in the tunnel, but it’s only temporary. As Corrie Ten Boom once put it:
When the train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer.
Remember, it is God who brings us through.