Rivers of Difficulty

Isaiah 43:2-3(NLT)
“2 When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. 3 For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”

A good friend recently went through a tumultuous situation in her relationship. “I feel broken, afraid, and alone! How could he hurt me this way!” Sometimes the people we love the most are the ones that will hurt us the most, and this is a very difficult reality to accept. When it happens, some of us go into repair mode, and that can look different for each person. It’s not uncommon to blame and punish ourselves for the pain we’re experiencing, and this means that we might continue to give up our power to the one that is hurting us. We might also neglect to remember that real and genuine love doesn’t hurt. This is the kind of love we should desire for ourselves because it is the kind of love God wants us to both give and receive.

Many people have been misinformed about what it takes to have a healthy significant relationship. Some of us don’t possess this knowledge and wisdom because we’ve never been taught. This is one of the many reasons why it is so extremely important to read God’s Word. We need to learn about the example of Jesus Christ, because his example is one of true and genuine love. Through his life, ministry, and sacrifice, he teaches us how to love God, ourselves, and others. He also teaches us how to recognize when a counterfeit is in our midst.

In John 15:13(NLT), Jesus Christ said, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” In this verse, he is teaching us how real, true, and genuine love behaves. When someone loves us truly, they are willing to make sacrifices for our well-being. They want to see us be our best selves, and they will always do whatever they can to help us be at our best. This is what real, true, and genuine looks like. It’s the way Jesus Christ loves each of us.

He said in John 13:34-35(NLT), “34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” It is not complicated to love people through the love of Jesus Christ. It’s a privilege and honor, and it’s in no way a burden. If what we’re receiving doesn’t look like the love of Christ, it’s a counterfeit, and it would be in our very best interest not to entertain it.

John 3:16(ESV) says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” Jesus Christ is God’s only begotten Son, and He sent him into the world to save us from the darkness and torment of eternal hell. This overwhelming, unconditional, and powerful love was in Christ as he carried out his ministry on earth, and because of his sacrifice, when we accept Christ into our hearts, this incredible love is in us through the Holy Spirit. Romans 5:5(NLT) says, “And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”

How incredible are the promises of God in Isaiah 43:2-3? They are beyond comforting. He tells us that when we go through rivers of difficulties and walk through the fire of oppression in our relationships and in life, He will not allow us to drown or be consumed. He is with us. He’s our Rescue, and He has saved us through Jesus Christ. God’s love is the love of Jesus Christ, and we will always have it. This is where our power and strength must be anchored, and when it is, we’ll understand that through Christ, we are worthy of God love. We will be confident in the knowledge of how precious we are to our Heavenly Father, and we will not fall for anyone that doesn’t know and treat us that way too.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

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