Girls with Swords by Bevere Lisa

Author:Bevere, Lisa [Bevere, Lisa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780307457837
Publisher: The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group
Published: 2013-02-11T16:00:00+00:00

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;

when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,

and the flame shall not consume you. (Isaiah 43:1–2, emphasis added)

Notice that even before water and fire are introduced, the issue of fear is addressed. We have no reason to fear, because not only has our Father redeemed us, but we have been individually named and adopted as God’s own. It is important to note Isaiah’s choice of terms in these verses. This dynamic of passing through water and fire is not referred to as an “if” possibility but is clearly tagged as a “when” occurrence.

Sometimes I think it is actually more reassuring in this context. If the promise were attached to “if you pass through waters, rivers, fire, or flame,” I could run the risk of being caught off guard. Human nature will go to great lengths to avoid if passageways. As Isaiah penned it here, we know ahead of time that the water and fire courses of life are unavoidable and not necessarily the result of mistakes on our part.

In addition to the assurance that there will be waters and rivers, fires and flames, it appears these types of experiences will happen multiple times. The good news is that you’re just passing through. Don’t give in to the inclination to murmur and complain, because neither fire nor water is a friendly place to camp. They are processes to successfully navigate.

Throughout the Bible we see God repeatedly use bodies of water as a symbol of transition. The children of Israel left behind their years of Egyptian bondage in the depths of the Red Sea and then left their years of desert wandering at the banks of the Jordan River before entering their season of promise.

Fire also represents a declaration of covenant. God provided the fire when he first made a covenant with Abraham. Later when Israel had strayed and listened to false prophets, God answered with fire as Elijah called Israel to repentance. The fiery furnace became a haven for the children of Israel who refused to bow to Nebuchadnezzar’s idol, yet the fire consumed those who had bowed to the idol.

Chances are you have already journeyed through a bit of water and fire. This may have happened when you were unaware that water was present. We each pass through waters so gentle, temperate, and thorough that they wash away our sins even though we are physically unaware. There is a moment of immersion in water as we bury our old lives and rise up renewed, as in the sacrament of baptism. Then there are raging rivers we must cross that frighten us as they threaten to overwhelm us, such as when we go through hard times.

Life begins in water, and water sustains life. God the Father began the creation process as his Spirit hovered over the face of the waters. Likewise, our lives begin in a sea within our mothers’ wombs. Water is the universal solvent that’s ultimate purpose is to wash.

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