B. C. Brock
(Georgia, USA)
The Lord said, “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 43:2 (NIV)
As I watched news coverage of Hurricane Helene ravaging Asheville, North Carolina, I thought to myself: These people have lost everything. Why? How will they rebuild their lives? I feel like an increasing number of people are suffering today and to greater and greater degrees. There are no easy answers, but the Bible helps us work through some of these important questions of faith. It does not tell us that God causes suffering. Instead, it affirms that God is always present with us in our suffering.
In Isaiah 43:2, God promises that he will be present through the waters and fires, both of which are symbols of suffering. Here God promises to be there for us, walking alongside us, providing the comfort and strength we need.
The Cross is perhaps the best example of suffering. God wanted to save us, so he sent his Son to enter into complete suffering. Jesus experienced human suffering in its entirety, and just as God was with him, so too is God with us.
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