When You Walk

This verse was brought to me this morning as an encouragement.

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name;
You are mine.

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 43:1-2)

It struck me that in each of the verses it does not say “if” but “when.” When you pass through the waters—because you will. Life is hard. If we count on that and expect it, the rivers and flames will not surprise us. But we don’t have to fear it. In the midst of the fire, if we take a moment to forget about the flames we see all around us, we will notice that we aren’t getting burned.