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Letters of Truth - Spirit of the Word - Covenant Eschatology - Introductory Note - New Stuff WHEN TRIALS COME-- HE IS THERE
by Ray Prinzing"But now thus says the Lord that created you, O Jacob, and He that formed you, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed you, I have called you by your name; you are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you; when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour."
(Isaiah 43:1-3)It is significant that this tremendous word of encouragement begins with a clarification of the One who gives us this Word of comfort. "THE LORD THAT CREATED YOU, HE THAT FORMED YOU." Thus we are immediately faced with our Sovereign Lord, The First Cause of all causes, out of Whom are all things, and specifically, out of Whom we came. It's a direct Word from God Himself, who has involved Himself with our redemption, our calling, and who makes a statement of His ownership, "YOU ARE MINE!" He takes responsibility for all that befalls us. Our pathway is not only planned by Him, but He will personally participate in all that we go through. While the processings may seem to be severe, rivers deep and wide, mountains rugged and steep, fires that are intense, nevertheless, not only is HE WITH US, but He states even further, "I AM YOUR SAVIOUR." Our total salvation is secure, we shall come through, not somehow, but triumphantly, undergirded by the promise, "Because I live, you shall live also."
(John 14:19).In another place we read that He is "A just God and a Saviour." (Isa. 45:21) He is our Saviour because He is JUST. He would not be JUST if He were not our Saviour, for it was God alone who had the responsibility of subjecting creation to vanity and corruption. It was "not willingly" on creation's part, but "BY REASON OF HIM who has subjected the same in hope, because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." (Rom. 8:20-21).
God has never withdrawn Himself from involvement with His creation, and never has that fact been more clearly stated than in this text verse before us. "When you pass through the waters, I WILL BE WITH YOU." As goes the hymn:
"Some through the waters, some through the flood,
Some through the fire, but all through the blood,
Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song
In the night season, and all the day long."Without belaboring the point with an extended word study, we do need to underscore the word "WHEN." He did not say "IF," but "WHEN," for the path is destined to take us by this route. Jesus Christ, "though He were a Son, yet learned (experienced) He obedience by the things which He suffered." (Heb. 5:8). So now, "Hereunto were you called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps." (1 Peter 2:21). Being apprehended to share His glory, to be conformed to His image, and to be a partaker of His divine nature, it rightly follows that we shall come into that ONENESS WITH HIM by this path that He marked out for us.
Thus it is not "IF you pass through the waters," but a "WHEN," for if you haven't faced the waters yet, you will in due time. "It is a faithful saying: for if we be dead with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him." (2 Tim. 2:11-12). But the emphasis is not just on the deep waters of testing, the fiery trials, the processings that leave you reeling, for there is a definite truth connected to this "WHEN." The Hebrew word for "when" is "hayah" meaning: to exist, to come to pass. WHEN the trial overtakes you-- as it is in the process of happening-- RIGHT THEN He is there to bring us through,
"more than conquerors through Him that loved us." (Rom. 8:37). That is the positiveness of the message-- for WHEN these things happen, "I WILL BE WITH YOU." You are not alone, He is there, and you will not be defeated because HE is the Victor.In our natural realm, prone to fret and worry and battle our fears, we are ready to insist that we be deluged with power and blessing long before the trial comes. We want to have "martyr's grace" long before we face the fire, or whatever the processing might be. But the word is WHEN-- as it comes to pass, I WILL BE WITH YOU. Certainly He is with us all the time, for it is written, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you.'' (Heb. 13:5). But the point before us is not just the abiding omnipresence of the Lord-- but as a word to strengthen your faith, that specifically WHEN you pass through, HE IS there, the Source of all that you need, the Guarantee of salvation.
"WHEN the enemy shall come in, like a flood the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him." (Isa. 59:19). Strange doctrines have evolved in Christendom-- a voodoo of demonology-- as some suppose there is an omnipresent devil everywhere dogging their heels, and ready to pounce on them at any given moment. It is utter nonsense! The only Omnipresent Spirit is the SPIRIT OF GOD, and He is WITH YOU. As for the cause of much of our negative experience some days, it is simply the carnal nature of man rising up to demand its own way-- flesh warring against flesh. And many of the happenings are simply the law of cause and effect. The flu virus invades your body, not as a demonic attack, but because in your pursuits of the day you were exposed to it-- and being stressed out, over-tired, etc. you were susceptible to the virus. The devil did not cause your car to break down, there were reasons which the mechanic can explain and correct. We need not illustrate this at length, suffice it to say "This is my Father's world," and Satan is not in control of it-- GOD IS! However, there are those rare occasions when the enemy does come in, and WHEN that happens, "like a flood the Spirit of the Lord lifts up a standard against him." God restricts the adversary-- until he becomes a servant to the Most High. Full well our God can make "the wrath of man (or demons) to praise Him," and the remainder of wrath He restrains. (Psalm 76:10).
"What time I am afraid, I will trust in you." (Psalm 56:3). WHAT TIME, or we could say WHEN-- "When I am afraid ..." No doubt about it, we all have those moments when fear crowds in-- but that is WHEN our trust in the Lord needs to kick in-- become active. The noise pollution of negative voices is extreme these days, and if you listen to them, their message becomes a fertile field for fear to grow and entrap. But the Psalmist says, "WHEN (what time) I am afraid, I will TRUST IN YOU." And in another place he states, "I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto Him, and were radiant." (Ps. 34:4-5). Margin reads, "they flowed unto Him." What a beautiful way to say that "they trusted in Him." You do not flow unto, commit yourself unto the Lord, if you have no confidence or trust in Him. Therefore when fears arise, that is the time to strengthen and focus your trust in the Lord, and know that He remains in control of all that touches your life.
"Casting all your care upon Him; for He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7).
It is obvious that at one time or another you have cares to cast-- and WHEN, AT WHAT TIME I am beset with cares, worries, distracting problems, that is the time to trust in the Lord, and cast it all upon Him. Interesting to note: YOU do the casting, HE does the caring. Someone once wrote:"It is God's will that I should cast my cares on Him each day.
He also asks me not to cast my confidence away. (Heb. 10:35).
But oh, how stupidly I act when taken unawares,
I cast away my confidence, and carry all my cares."The Psalmist also learned these things, and says, "Commit your way to the Lord-- roll and repose each care of your road on Him." (Ps. 37:5, Amp.) Or, "...Trust also in Him, and He will bring it to pass." (NKJ). We sometimes use the terminology that these truths need to be lived out right where "the rubber meets the road." And it is in this daily journey that the cares of the road can beset us, and we need to learn how to roll them all on Him, until we can, as Paul writes, "Be careful for nothing." (Phil. 4:6)
Over the past several months I have found it a real exercise, right after going to bed, or waking in the middle of the night, to control the thoughts that come crowding in-- and it requires a real effort to corral them, and SET THE MIND ON CHRIST until all other thoughts fade away. "Be careful for nothing..." is truly an exercise in casting all your cares upon Him.
"WHEN my spirit was overwhelmed within me, THEN You knew my path." (Psalm 142:3). How precious WHEN and THEN! The WHEN bespeaks of the time element for the testing and trial to come into being, while the THEN bespeaks of the time element when HIS involvement in our affairs is also happening. If the WHEN seems to have negative connections, the THEN brings in the positive enablement of our Redeemer, who is present to work all things together into our good, and for His praise. often we thrill to the workings of God, the anointing of His Spirit, and that surge of feeling victorious. We are ready to rise up and declare "For by You I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall." (Ps. 18:29). In those moments the dark shadows hold no terror, for we are energized by God to face whatever is before us. But then comes these other occasions, "WHEN my spirit is overwhelmed within me." Ah, this, too, we identify with.
Overwhelmed-- the Hebrew word is "ataph" meaning: to show self feeble, or, to languish, faint. There are times in our processing when it all sweeps over you, draining your strength, leaving you feeling faint, spent. Psalm 107:5, reads, "Hungry and thirsty, their soul FAINTED (was overwhelmed) in them." But the next verses read, "THEN they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and HE delivered them out of their distresses. And He led them forth by the right way..." Such was the purpose of arranging circumstances until they were "hungry and thirsty," for WHEN this comes to pass, THEN we learn to cry unto the Lord. And truly, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." (Matt. 5:6).
The Psalmist gives an interesting observation/confession. "In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night (literally, my hand was stretched out as in prayer), and ceased not: and my soul refused to be comforted. I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed." (Ps. 77:2-3). Caught in the grip of a very negative mind battle, he was mourning, complaining, questioning God, "why?" Nothing will drain your strength any faster than negative thinking. We try to figure it all out in ourselves, and find it too muddled and complicated. Questions arise that momentarily seem to be unanswerable. He was brought to the point he admitted-- "And I said, This is my weakness." (v.10). Herein is my failing, to focus on my troubles, rather than to keep my mind stayed upon my God.
WHEN this happened to the Psalmist, how did he rise above all the internal tempest? THEN-- when feeling so overwhelmed, "I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High." That was the time to "REMEMBER the works of the Lord." To "meditate also of all Your work, and talk of Your doings," until he could cry out, "Who is so great a God as our God?" (Ps. 77:11-13).
God has a LONG RECORD of coming to the aid of His people, of working all things together into good. Remember HIS RIGHT HAND, and all the times He brought deliverance to His people; how even in the smallest of details He revealed His creativity, His power, His love for you. Getting his mind off of himself, and his troubles, and remembering/meditating/talking of all the wonders of God's workings, he was brought into a new dimension of peace and joy in the Lord. "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You: because he trusts in You." (Isa. 26:3).
And we do well to remember what Paul declared so eloquently, "There has no temptation (trial) taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted (tested) above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it." (1 Cor. 10:13). The Amplified reads: "He will always provide a way out-- the means of escape to a landing place-- that you may be capable and strong and powerful patiently to bear up under it." IN HIM THERE IS NO ESCAPISM, that is, no evading the trial, but an OVERCOMING, and a going up out of it as Victor, because of His enablement. Praise God.
When Jonah was in the midst of his most unusual happening, three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish that God had prepared, he said, "When my soul FAINTED (was overwhelmed) within me I remembered the Lord." (Jonah 2:7). "All Your billows and Your waves passed over me. - Weeds were wrapped about my head." This was not easy for the fish either, it had an internal guest that was making it very uncomfortable, and it would dive deep into the sea, "I went down to the bottom of the mountains." And finding no relief the fish came up again. One can only imagine what a rollercoaster ride this might have been. BUT GOD WAS IN TOTAL CONTROL, and when the proper degree of repentance had been worked into Jonah, and he offered his prayer unto the Lord, "The Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land." (v. 10). When in distress, THEN I cried unto the Lord, seems to be the story of man over and over again, yet little does man know that it is GOD ALL THE WAY, preparing the circumstances for the trial, and always with that "nevertheless afterwards" in view when it yields the peaceable fruit of His righteousness. How marvelous are all His ways.
How beautiful is the promise, "For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always be angry: for the spirit should FAIL (be overwhelmed) before Me, and the souls which I have made." (Isa. 57:16). Certainly there are times of cleansing, purifying, disciplining, correction, judgments, use whatever term you like best-- YET GOD is ever cognizant of His creation, and knowing our propensity for easily becoming overwhelmed, He measures out the correction according as we are able to bear it. For HE is there in the midst of all of our conversion, and development, saying, "I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him," (v. 18), that we might ultimately be found to His praise and glory.
Returning to the verse, Ps. 142:3, "WHEN my spirit was overwhelmed within me, THEN You knew my path." WHEN can get quite expressive of all the times our spirit was overwhelmed within us-- the weakness, the fainting, but that is immediately connected to a beautiful THEN-- right during those times of utter frailty, deficiency, feebleness-- right when we are certain that we cannot take another step-- RIGHT THEN He knows our path, and He is leading us in the right way, for "He knows the path that I take: when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold." (Job 23:10).
Let us not becomes so self-exalted that we claim a spirituality beyond what we actually possess-- for there are times, when in the sifting process, as Peter experienced, "Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat," (Luke 22:31), that we are not sure about anything-- Is the message we have believed really true? Is this walk really of God? In fact, are we really sure that God exists in our day, undergirding our way? And the many whispered doubts leave you crying out with the man who said to our Saviour, "Lord, I believe, HELP my unbelief." (Mark 9:24). And it is THEN that He whispers within, "I KNOW YOUR PATH," and "I have prayed for you, that Your faith does not fail." (Luke 22:32). It's enough to make you weep and worship before Him. HE knows all about those days, those weary miles you walk, the heartbreak that sweeps over you because there are things happening that you cannot help, and all you can do is give yourself over to the Spirit to make "intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." (Rom. 8:26).
The disciples, crossing the sea in a ship, were "tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary," and they saw Jesus walking on the sea. Then Peter asked the Lord to bid him to come to Him, and Jesus said, "Come." So Peter began to walk on the water toward Jesus, "But WHEN he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And IMMEDIATELY Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him." (Matt. 14:3031). The record doesn't give all the details, but boisterous winds make for turbulent water, and the contrary conditions were a real testing arena. It is also easy to see that the LORD was responsible for these "testing winds" for "WHEN they were come into the ship, the wind ceased."
(v. 32). Our God knows exactly what conditions to create for our processing, but let us not become so taken up with the trial that we forget "WHEN you pass through the waters, I WILL BE WITH YOU." It is in this "WITH YOU" that we find the grace to walk it out until He has accomplished His purpose. In Peter's "WHEN" we have boisterous winds, and that horrible sinking feeling-- yet it also reads, "IMMEDIATELY JESUS STRETCHED FORTH HIS HAND." Therein is the answer-- to return our focus upon the Lord, not upon the temporary circumstances. "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." (2 Cor. 4:17-18).No one will deny that all of this is "easier said, than done." The words flow in a heart-warming stream, we confess the truth of His Word, but then to LIVE IT OUT day by day-- that is where we have to rely fully on His "WITH US." Herein we find some precious truths. WITH speaks of communion, of togetherness, at the same time, and often implies that aid is given, as when Abimelech said to Abraham, "God is with you..." (Gen. 21:22). This is more than just a being there, but actively supporting, helping us. When God is WITH you, all His resources are there to be given as He works out His will and purpose. Such WITH-NESS is almost beyond our comprehension.
WITH also speaks of fellowship in action-- He is a participator in all of our way. Furthermore, it speaks of an alliance for our good, as contrasted by that which is "against" us. And truly, "If God be FOR US, who can be against us." (Rom. 8:31).
The Psalmist declared, "When I cry unto You, then shall my enemies turn back: THIS I KNOW; BECAUSE GOD IS FOR ME." (Ps. 56:9). How marvelous, in the heat of the battle we cry unto the Lord, and in this WHEN, crying/praying, seeking God, RIGHT THEN HE who is WITH/FOR us turns the enemy back, and we begin to see the light of a new day.
Abimelech, and some of his men, came to Isaac and desired a peace-covenant with him, and Isaac asked them Why?, since they hated him, "And they said, We saw certainly that the Lord was WITH You..." (Gen. 26:28). To deal with Isaac was one thing, but to have to deal with the GOD WITH HIM, that was an entirely different matter. So much of what happens to us is GOD SETTING THE STAGE SO THAT OTHERS CAN SEE THAT HE IS WITH US.
WITH-- also speaks of nearness and vicinity. Through it all He is WITH YOU! This is the unique characteristic of our God. His with-ness with His people. The Lord said to Moses, "My presence shall go with you." (Ex. 33:14). And the mark of distinction that was upon Israel was that their God was WITH THEM. "Is it not in that You go WITH us?" (v. 16). Thus Moses desperately counted on this with-ness of God, for without Him there could be no progressive movement. Yet how quickly we forget that HE is there, WITH US, as we pass through the waters, the floods, the fires, etc.
Ezekiel closes his book, (48:35) with the triumphant pronouncement, "And the name of the city from that day shall be, THE LORD IS THERE." Or, as the Hebrew reads, "Jehovah-shammah." God dwelling with man, redeemed, restored into perfect communion-- fellowship far beyond description. But this STATE OF BEING is not just a sudden happening-- we do not giant leap into a togetherness with God in full spiritual maturity. Indeed, it has been a daily learning that "WHEN you pass through the waters, I will be with you." If we cannot come to KNOW HIM, and embrace Him in the moment by moment trials of the day, we surely will not be prepared to KNOW HIM in a full expression of His glory.
So often our experience has been comparable to that of Jacob, when he was fleeing from his brother Esau, and came to a place where he tarried for the night, and while he slept he dreamt of the angels ascending and descending upon a ladder, "And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not." (Gen. 28:16). God has been/and IS in all of our afflictions, testings, trials, circumstances, situations, and we knew it not until afterwards, as we looked back and saw how He used it-- worked it for our good, and for His praise.
One of the beautiful truths we learn from the compound names of Jehovah, is the FACT that HE IS THERE. We are not always conscious of His presence being with us, and so we have to walk on in the KNOWLEDGE that it is so. But His name also holds the promise of that fulfillment of REALITY, when forever we will be conscious that HE IS THERE-- with us, and we with Him. It is a truth, HE IS WITH US now, where we are, having condescended to our low estate, but the purpose is that being WITH US NOW in all our afflictions, that ultimately we might BE WITH HIM WHERE HE IS, sharing in the fulness of His life and victory.
Jacob said, "Surely the Lord is IN THIS PLACE..." And might we say the same thing today? Surely the Lord is in these contrary winds, boisterous and threatening. Surely the Lord is with us as we pass through the waters, the floods, the fires. WITH US to be our SAVIOUR. We cannot rescue ourselves, we cannot change ourselves, but we can daily cast ourselves upon His mercies, and know that our life is secure in Him-- Lord and Redeemer!
And one final thought-- He said, "When you pass THROUGH..." We are not to stay in the waters, but to pass THROUGH them, and come INTO HIM! Amen!