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In life’s hardest seasons, God doesn’t just help us survive—He refines us into something new.
TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE
“But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland” (Isaiah 43:18-19, NLT).
SOMETHING TO PONDER
One of the most difficult things I’ve ever experienced is my battle with mental health. As a teen, I watched it destroy my family. Overdoses, alcoholism, and strained relationships were the norm. When I developed an eating disorder and an addiction to exercise, I hid from everyone—myself and God included.
For seven years, I felt exiled in a foreign land. I’d become someone I didn’t recognize—someone who compromised values and lived as a shell of her true identity. It wasn’t until God rescued me from those destructive patterns that I learned the value of Isaiah 43.
When Isaiah wrote these words to Israel, they were deep in their wilderness. Captivity and exile weren’t new to them— they were well acquainted with suffering. And yet, God told them, “Fear not” (vs.1), “for I have redeemed you and called you by your name. You are Mine.”
Despite their sin, God spoke to His people like a loving Father to His child. He wasn’t just their Creator; He was their powerful Redeemer, now and forevermore.
Isaiah continues that Israel would walk through rivers, fires, and troubles, but God would be with them. The journey would be hard, and there would be times of doubt and discouragement. Still, God promised to bring His people back to Him (vs.2-7).
It all sounds hopeful until we’re the ones called to walk through the wilderness to reach the Promised Land.
