Today we read one of my favorite passages in the entire Bible. When I need comfort I turn to Isaiah 40-43. Why? Because it reminds me Who my God is. In the heat of a fiery trial, I have the incredible ability to “forget.” I forget what I know to be true in the Word because my vision becomes clouded with the details of the circumstance. I forget especially what I have learned about my Lord. And so, when I need comfort, I love to turn to Isaiah 40-43 to “remember.” Here is what I see in these chapters about God:

God is Personal: He says, “I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown….For I am the LORD, your God…” (Isaiah 43:1-3). Whenever you see His name, “LORD” in capital letters, it means “Yahweh” and is the personal name of God for His people, meaning “I AM”–in this name He is saying “I am everything you need for every circumstance of life.” God wants you to know that He is with you no matter what you are facing in life. Oh, how this encourages me because in the heat of a trial who else can really know what I am going through? But He does. He is with me. He sees the “deep waters and great trouble” and “rivers of difficulty” according to these verses and promises that He is with us and He will help us in our circumstance. Take comfort in that today.

God is Present: So often in the heat of a trial we feel that no one sees or understands. And we see in the world that evil and godless people take advantage of the weak and powerful. But you can know that no matter what, the LORD sees your troubles (Isaiah 40:27). You and your situation does not go unnoticed by God but, in fact, is scrutinized by Him. I love Isaiah 40:28-31 and we would do well to memorize these powerful verses: “Have you never heard or understood? Don’t you know that the LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak. Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. But those who wait on the LORD will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” There is such reward to “wait” on the LORD. Can you see it here? Because God is present in your circumstance, “wait” for His move in your life. My word this year is “wait” and I am learning that it means “Watching Always I Trust”. Rather than a knee-jerk reaction in the midst of trouble, I am learning to run to the Lord, ask Him for wisdom and discernment, and then ask Him to do something only He can do, show me what I am to do, then eagerly watch to see what He will do.

God is Powerful: God can do amazing things–more than any man can do. Listen to these incredible verses: “You are witnesses that I am the only God, says the LORD. From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can oppose what I do. No one can reverse my actions” (Isaiah 43:12-13). As we read through these amazing chapters in Isaiah we see that God can open a way in the rough waters. He make a dry path through the sea. Let us believe Him for great and mighty things in our lives because He is our great and mighty God.

God Plans, Provides, and Produces: God is the God of the “new thing” and the “new day.” He says, “I am about to do a brand-new thing. See I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness for my people to come home. I will create rivers for them in the desert!” I LOVE these verses. They tell me something incredible about my God. The wildernesses and deserts of life are not FOREVER. It’s never OVER. When we find ourselves in a desert or wilderness, it feels as though there is no hope. However, God can do something new in the very place where it seems as though it’s over. So, the encouragement here is not to look at the circumstance but look up to your LORD. EOJ (Eyes On Jesus) as I always say. Perhaps that is why the writer of Hebrews tells us to “run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish” (Hebrews 12:1-2). The best way to “look up” is to open the pages of your Bible and live there. The things you read in God’s Word are true and eternal. Isaiah tells us this in Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withers, and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.”

God is Protective: In the heat of a trial, it is comforting to know that you have a protector, one who will help you no matter what. He says, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.” The “I wills” of God are a sure thing and you can count on Him!

God is Passionate: Sometimes in the adverse circumstances of life you may feel that God doesn’t love you. Never interpret the character of God by your circumstance, only by what you know is true in His Word. Isaiah 40:4 says, “…you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you.” Here in these verses we see the great heart of God who sent His only begotten Son to die in your place so that your sins might be forgiven and you might spend eternity with Him. Always interpret the love of God by the Cross of Jesus Christ. Here is the promise: “God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins” (1 John 4:9-10).

God is Purposeful: There is great comfort to know that we are made with purpose and that God has a purpose for us. You see this in Isaiah 43:7 and 10: “All who claim me as their God will come, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them…You have been chosen to know me, believe in me, and understand that I alone am God.” You were made for the glory of God. Your design is such that as you grow in an intimate relationship with your Lord, others may see what it means to know Him. The light of your life will cause others to desire to know the Lord. Oh what an incredible purpose this is! May our life reflect His glory and make a difference in the darkness of the world.

And so, dear friend, I invite you today to take comfort in these truths about your God from Isaiah. And the next time a circumstance or a person seems to be asking you that question “Who is your God?” you will be prepared to give an answer for the “hope that is in you!” (see 1 Peter 3:15). God bless you.