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

First Church’s call to Scripture memorization continues to guide and focus us on biblical truth. This time Isaiah heralds good news as he tries to deliver healing belief to his people. This passage is the first of his four scriptural “Servant Songs,” written as many of the faithful return from Babylon. In it, Isaiah proclaims the greatness of God and the futility of idols while reaffirming Israel’s only Lord and predicting God’s future Servant. Our Savior will redeem you, call you by name, be with you, and protect you (Isaiah 43:1-2).

He again reminds us that we exist to declare God’s exclusive deity as a priority and that biblical faith is not a vague hope grounded in wishful thinking. It is a confident trust in His all-powerful, infinitely wise, and eternally trustworthy Holy Word.

As God’s uniquely created beings, we are chemically and physically alike. As this is so, one might accept the notion that we are one of a crowd and like everyone else. But as His highest form of life, we are each further blessed with the ability to choose and with a spiritual nature that is singularly unique before God.

The truth is that among His creatures, there is no crowd. Each of us is known and loved by God individually. What defines us is not our guilt but the grace of the One who died to save us. Don’t ever get the idea that God is like the government, capable of only dealing with us en masse. God assures His people of His promised restoration no matter the circumstance, expecting those of faith not to shrink back but remain confidently faithful. We are reminded that faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see—without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:1, 6).

When things look dreadfully hopeless or scary it gets in the way of remaining strong in the faith. We shrink back as our feelings and imagination attack our faith. The conflict is often not between faith and reason but between faith and our senses. We can face things we know to be dangerous if they do not look or sound dangerous.

Faith in Christ, Holy Spirit empowerment, and scriptural understanding give a clear reason to faithfully hold our trust in a gracious Heavenly Father. God, our most holy Savior, gives us a choice; we can choose faith.

by Bill Kastning