God's Word 

Isaiah 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

This passage of scripture is very special to me. Every time I read this verse, I am reminded of my darkest trial. I remember the times spent lying on the cold hard concrete floor of our storeroom, in darkness, crying out to God and repeating the promises of God, with tears streaming down my face, begging God for help and seeking comfort from His Word.

I couldn’t understand why I was having to go through such a sore trial. I felt as if God had turned a deaf ear to my plight. Why wasn’t He listening to me? Where was He when I needed Him most? I prayed His promises, I clung to them, I cried them aloud and yet relief seemed out of my reach.

But each time I read this verse in Isaiah, I felt His presence once again. “I will be with thee”. Through waters, through rivers, through fire.

Like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego of long ago, it wasn’t about the fire that surrounded them, it was about who was in the fire WITH them.

God was with me in those dark times. He was right there beside me, His arms around me, holding me, comforting me. And yet, at times, I couldn’t feel it. I was so focused on my circumstances, my hurt, my pain, that I was blind to His presence. The darkness threatened to overwhelm me. I couldn’t see a light at the end of the tunnel. Was it because God had deserted me? Was it because I had been forgotten? NO!

It was because my eyes were closed! I couldn’t see Him because I was blinded by my own doubts and fears. His promises still held true no matter how I felt about them. If I doubt the promises of God, it doesn’t make a difference to whether they’re true or not. It changes nothing! God’s Word is true, and His promises are sure.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.

In those dark and gloomy days, it was God’s Word that lifted my spirits, that gave me hope, that set my feet back on the rock.

Psalm 119:92 Unless thy law had been my delights,

 I should then have perished in mine affliction.

As the Psalmist writes, if I didn’t have God’s Word, I would have perished. Without God’s glorious promises and words of comfort, I might still be lying in darkness. Without the Word of God lifting me and sustaining me, I may have lay down in despair, letting my burdens overwhelm me and crush me. But God’s Word lifted me up.

Psalm 40:2  He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established  my goings.

You may be feeling the weight of burden and stress pressing in on you, threatening to crush you. But if your times of trials bring you to your knees, then you’re in the perfect position to pray! Sometimes God forces us to our knees to get us to pray more seriously. More sincerely. More devotedly. More consistently.

I searched the scriptures daily, looking for comfort from God’s Word, and I was never left disappointed. There was always something there to feed my soul.

Psalm 34:4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

Psalm 34:15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous,

 and his ears are open unto their cry.

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

The Word of God is full of blessed promises for those who love Him. People will let us down. Continually. But God never will! This became very real to me last year, more than any other time in my life. And this baring of my soul is not for my glory but for God’s glory! He is the one who brought me through. Yes, He used His people to strengthen and encourage me, to pull me up, to walk alongside me, but it was all Him!

Isaiah 40:29-31 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

God didn’t just give me crutches to lean on, stumbling along my way, tripping over my own feet. No! He gave me wings to fly! Not just walk. Not just run. But fly! Like an eagle! Soaring above my circumstances, confident in God’s hand, holding me up, lifting me above the dark clouds, above the storm.  He renewed my strength. He gave power.

I began to compile a list of verses that I could go to at any time. I wrote them up on cards, I pinned them up in my room, in my office, in the storeroom. I kept them handy on the Bible app on my phone. I committed some verses to memory and quoted them in the wakeful times during the night.

My reason for telling you this, is that I want to encourage you to make time to dive into God’s Word and find the treasure trove of promises there. There are too many to list. The verses that spoke to me the most during my time of trial may not be the same ones that speak to you.

That’s what is so wonderful about God’s Word. It’s personal. And it’s applicable to anyone in any season of life and in any trial. There is something for everybody. No one need go without.

And don’t just wait for a trial to hit before you find these verses. Search now! Have them ready to go for your time of need. Commit them to memory now!

Psalm 119:50 This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.

God’s word will revive us. It will breathe life into our tired lungs. It will soothe our souls and bring strength to our weary bodies and minds.

When you are going through a sore trial, when you feel down and discouraged, dig deep into the Word of God and search for those promises to help you. Don’t be satisfied until you find the treasure you seek. Don’t give up! Beg God for something from His Word. And don’t rise from your knees until you find it! Lay hold of it. Read it. Pray it. Beg God for it!

Then, and only then, will you find the peace that passeth understanding. God’s peace.

Philippians 4:6-7 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

As the Psalmist says, you will be able to lay down in peace and sleep. Despite the turmoil going on around you, God will bring peace.

Psalm 4:8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

And when you come through the other side, don’t forget to praise God! Daily. Or, as this verse says, 7 times a day!

Psalm 119:164 Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.

God will sustain you. He will lift you up. He will bring peace. Don’t despair. And as one of my favourite sayings goes, “Don’t doubt in the dark what you KNOW in the light”

Psalm 55:22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.