Isaiah 43 2 Quotes

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." [Isaiah 43:2]

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you. Isaiah 43:2

Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. 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. Isaiah 43:1–2

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.

Psalm 107:33–43 Proverbs 25:20 2 Corinthians 10:1–18 September 19 Isaiah 29:1–24

Now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you.           O Israel, the one who formed you says,      “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.           I have called you by name; you are mine.      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.” ISAIAH 43:1-2

Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. ISAIAH 43:5 NOVEMBER 2 Believe the great fact that God is with you. And with God’s help, what can stand in your way? I have no doubt that you believe in God one way or another, but do you really believe that God is with you, on your side, by your side, in you, helping you? When you have this overwhelming faith in God, when you really believe in Him, and then call upon Him, He will answer and show you mighty things that you never knew. As you practice this thought, you will become aware that He is also showing you a greater truth. “Do not be afraid, for I am with you” (Isaiah 43:5) is probably one of the greatest statements ever made in the history of human life on this earth. “Do not be afraid, for I am with you.” We are taught this but we do not keep it in mind. Think big. And think the biggest thought of all—that you are not alone, that God will always help you.

The godly are honorable "You have been honorable" (Isaiah 43:4). The godly are "a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord" (Isaiah 62:3). They are "plants of renown" (Ezek. 16:14). They are not only vessels of mercy but vessels of honor (2 Tim. 2:21). Aristotle calls honor the chief good thing. The godly are near akin to the blessed Trinity: they have the tutelage and guardianship of angels; they have "God's name written upon them" (Rev. 3:12) and "the Holy Spirit dwelling in them" (2 Tim. 1:14).

Throughout the biblical story, from Genesis to Revelation, every radical challenge from the biblical God is both asserted and then subverted by its receiving communities— be they earliest Israelites or latest Christians. That pattern of assertion-and-subversion, that rhythm of expansion-and-contraction, is like the systole-and-diastole cycle of the human heart. In other words, the heartbeat of the Christian Bible is a recurrent cardiac cycle in which the asserted radicality of God’s nonviolent distributive justice is subverted by the normalcy of civilization’s violent retributive justice. And, of course, the most profound annulment is that both assertion and subversion are attributed to the same God or the same Christ. Think of this example. In the Bible, prophets are those who speak for God. On one hand, the prophets Isaiah and Micah agree on this as God’s vision: “they shall beat their swords into plowshares, / and their spears into pruning hooks; / nation shall not lift up sword against nation, / neither shall they learn war any more” (Isa. 2:4 = Mic. 4:3). On the other hand, the prophet Joel suggests the opposite vision: “Beat your plowshares into swords, / and your pruning hooks into spears; / let the weakling say, ‘I am a warrior’” (3:10). Is this simply an example of assertion-and-subversion between prophets, or between God’s radicality and civilization’s normalcy? That proposal might also answer how, as noted in Chapter 1, Jesus the Christ of the Sermon on the Mount preferred loving enemies and praying for persecutors while Jesus the Christ of the book of Revelation preferred killing enemies and slaughtering persecutors. It is not that Jesus the Christ changed his mind, but that in standard biblical assertion-and-subversion strategy, Christianity changed its Jesus.

At times, we want to "feel" God. The truth is, we won't always have happy emotions. We won't always feel like loving. We won't always feel like pressing forward but, we can move into our daily journey by remembering that "Be sure of this : I am with you always, even to the end of the age" - (Matthew 28:20 NLT) In those moments where you feel empty or like you've driven miles away from God, we have to remember this powerful promise, " When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown" (Isaiah 43:2 NLT). So, you may feel frustrated with God because things aren't going your way and you may have fallen into depression. It's time for you to get back in the car and go back home to our King Jesus. All of your flesh is going to fight you to find something more comfortable but, you must learn to train your flesh to do what the Bible says to do in the midst of tests. Here are a few things that I did when I was fell into this trap.

Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. ISAIAH 43:18-19 The Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. 2 TIMOTHY 4:18 You have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. EPHESIANS 4:21-24 If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. PHILIPPIANS 3:13-14

healthy eating go-to scripts God has given me power over my food choices. I’m supposed to consume food. Food isn’t supposed to consume me. He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” . . . For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9–10) I was made for more than to be stuck in a vicious cycle of defeat. You have circled this mountain long enough. Now turn north. (Deuteronomy 2:3 NASB) When I’m considering a compromise, I will think past this moment and ask myself, How will I feel about this choice tomorrow morning? Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. (1 Corinthians 6:19–20) When tempted, I either remove the temptation or remove myself from the situation. If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. Therefore, my dear friends, flee. (1 Corinthians 10:12–14) When there’s a special event, I can find other ways to celebrate rather than blowing my healthy eating plan. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. (Revelation 3:8) Struggling with my weight isn’t God’s mean curse on me, but an outside indication that internal changes are needed for me to function and feel well. “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! . . . I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:18–19) I have these boundaries in place not for restriction but to define the parameters of my freedom. I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. (Romans 6:19)

Many OT passages speak of similar hardness of heart (e.g., Dt 29:4; Isa 42:19–20; 43:8; 44:18; Jer 5:21; Eze 12:2), but Jesus condenses a text in Isaiah in this parable. In Isaiah 6:9–10, God calls Isaiah to reveal truth to Israel that Israel will not receive, until the impending judgment (Isa 6:11). Their spiritual blindness increased as punishment for their refusal to heed what they had already heard from God (Isa 29:9–10).

This verse just came to my mind yesterday while sitting in the train... ‘Pursue … overtake … and … recover all.’ 1 Samuel 30:8 When King David and his men returned home from battle, they discovered that the Amalekites had burned their homes to the ground and taken their families prisoner. They were devastated. They wept until they’d no tears left. Then God spoke to them and said, ‘Pursue … overtake … and … recover all.’ And with His help they did! So no matter how bad your situation looks right now, don’t give up. Cry if you have to, then dry your tears and go out in God’s strength and take back what the Enemy has stolen from you. If necessary, take it an inch at a time, drawing on His strength and not your own. Paul writes: ‘Let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint’ (Galatians 6:9 AMP Classic Edition). God won’t quit on you, so don’t quit on Him! He has promised in His Word: ‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD your God’ (Isaiah 43:2-3 NIV 2011 Edition). Don’t give up - go through! It’s easy to quit, but it takes faith to go through. When your faith honours God, He honours your faith! And with Him on your side you’ll come out stronger than you were when you went in. So the word for you today is: ‘Pursue … overtake … and … recover all.

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Isaiah 43:2

Isaiah’s words: Do not be afraid … I have called you by your name, you are mine. Should you pass through the sea, I will be with you … Should you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, and the flames will not burn you. (43:2) As

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. ISAIAH 43:2

December 6 “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” Isaiah 43:2 BRIDGE there is none: we must go through the waters, and feel the rush of the rivers. The presence of God in the flood is better than a ferry-boat. Tried we must be, but triumphant we shall be; for Jehovah himself, who is mightier than many waters, shall be with us. Whenever else he may be away from his people, the Lord will surely be with them in difficulties and dangers. The sorrows of life may rise to an extraordinary height, but the Lord is equal to every occasion. The enemies of God can put in our way dangers of their own making, namely, persecutions and cruel mockings, which are like a burning fiery furnace. What then? We shall walk through the fires. God being with us, we shall not be burned; nay, not even the smell of fire shall remain upon us. Oh, the wonderful security of the Heaven-born and Heaven-bound pilgrim! Floods cannot drown him, nor fires burn him. Thy presence, O Lord, is the protection of thy saints from the varied perils of the road. Behold, in faith I commit myself unto thee, and my spirit enters into rest.

Josephus, a Jewish historian who lived at the time of Christ, records that Cyrus read the prophecy of Isaiah and was marveled saying:   "Thus saith Cyrus the King:  Since God Almighty hath appointed me to be king of the habitable earth, I believe that he is that God which the nation of the Israelites worship; for he foretold my name by the prophets; and that I should build him a house at Jerusalem, in the country of Judea"   Josephus continues:   “This was known to Cyrus by his reading the book which Isaiah left behind him of his prophecies; for this prophet said that God had spoken thus to him in a secret vision: "My will is, that Cyrus, whom I have appointed to be king over many and great nations, send back my people to their own land, and build my temple.  This was foretold before the temple was demolished" Accordingly, when Cyrus read this, and admired the divine power, an earnest desire and ambition seized upon him to fulfill what was so written; so he called for the most eminent Jews that were in Babylon, and said to them, that he gave them leave to go back to their own country, and to rebuild the city of Jerusalem" 18   The fulfillment of this prophecy is also recorded in the Bible in 2 Chronicles 36:22-23, Ezra 1:2-8 and 4:3.

I will be with you when you pass through the waters, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. Isaiah 43:2

The most important thing is that you turn to Me, trusting that I am indeed with you. When you cannot sense My Presence, it is enough to know that I love you with compassionate, unfailing Love. If your heart is sinking under waves of panic, don’t focus on those feelings. Instead, look up to Me! As your soul clings to Me, My right hand will uphold you—keeping you safe in turbulent waters. See also Isaiah 43:2–4; Matthew 6:10; Lamentations 3:32; Psalm 63:8 (From Jesus Lives by Sarah Young) FOR MORE ON THIS TOPIC, SEE PAGE 1283.

This is what the LORD says … “Fear not, for I have redeemed you, I have called you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” ISAIAH 43:1 – 2

Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

PRECIOUS DEATH “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”—Psalm 116:15 This is one of the many comforting and blessed statements in Holy Scripture concerning that great event from which the flesh so much shrinks. If the Lord’s people would more frequently make a prayerful and believing study of what the Word says upon their departure out of this world, death would lose much, if not all, of its terrors for them. But alas, instead of doing so, they let their imagination run riot, they give way to carnal fears, they walk by sight instead of by faith. Looking to the Holy Spirit for guidance, let us endeavor to dispel, by the light of Divine revelation, some of the gloom which unbelief casts around even the death of a Christian. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” These words intimate that a dying saint is an object of special notice unto the Lord, for mark the words “in the sight of.” It is true that the eyes of the Lord are ever upon us, for He never slumbers nor sleeps. It is true that we may say at all times “Thou God seest me.” But it appears from Scripture that there are occasions when He notices and cares for us in a special manner. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee” (Isaiah 43:2). “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” This brings before us an aspect of death which is rarely considered by believers. It gives us what may be termed the Godward side of the subject. Only too often, we contemplate death, like most other things, from our side. The text tells us that from the viewpoint of Heaven the death of a saint is neither hideous nor horrible, tragic or terrible, but “precious.” This raises the question, Why is the death of His people precious in the sight of the Lord? What is there in the last great crisis which is so dear unto Him? Without attempting an exhaustive reply, let us suggest one or two possible answers: — 1. Their persons are precious to the Lord. They ever were and always will be dear to Him. His saints! They were the ones on whom His love

Perhaps Isaiah 43:2 expresses it best: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Why does this matter? Because if we believe God doesn’t want us to have a good life, then we will stay in places he never intended. We will settle for less than he has for us. We will make hard times our identity rather than a stop along the way.

When you walk through the fire you will not be burned and the flames will not harm you.

Worrying over something out of your control defeats you. Accept the things you can't change. Change the things you can.

When We Want God to Breathe New Life into Our Marriage Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. ISAIAH 43:18-19 WE ALL HAVE TIMES when we know we need new life in our marriage. We feel the strain, the tension, the sameness, or possibly even the subtle decay in it. When there is so much water under the bridge over what seems like a river of hurt, apathy, or preoccupation, we know we cannot survive the slowly and steadily rising flood without the Lord doing a new thing in both of us. The good news is that God says He will do that. He is the God of new beginnings, after all. But it won’t happen if we don’t make a choice to let go of the past. We have been made new if we have received Jesus. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). But in a marriage, it is way too easy to hang on to the old disappointments, misunderstandings, disagreements, and abuses. It becomes a wilderness of hurtful memories we cling to because we don’t want to be hurt, disappointed, misunderstood, disregarded, fought with, or abused again. Hanging on to old patterns of thought and negative memories keeps them fresh in your mind. And you don’t let your husband forget them, either. You remain mired in them because you don’t feel the situation has been resolved—and it still hurts. Only God can give you and your husband a new beginning from all that has gone on in the past. Only He can make a road in the wilderness of miscommunication and misread intentions, and make a cleansing and restoring river to flow in the dry areas of your relationship. Everyone needs new life in their marriage at certain times. And only the God of renewal can accomplish that. My Prayer to God LORD, I ask that You would do a fresh work of Your Spirit in our marriage. Make all things new in each of us individually and also together. Dissolve the pain of the past where it is still rising up in us to stifle our communication and ultimately our hope and joy. Wherever we have felt trapped in a wilderness of our own making, carve a way out of it for us and show us the path to follow. If there are rigid and dry areas between us that don’t allow for new growth, give us a fresh flow of Your Spirit to bring new vitality into our relationship. Help us to stop rehearsing old hurtful conversations that have no place in any life committed to the God of new beginnings. Sweep away all the old rubble of selfishness, stubbornness, blindness, and the inability to see beyond the moment or a particular situation. Only You can take away our painful memories so that we don’t keep reliving the same problems, hurts, or injustices. Only You can resurrect love, excitement, and hope where they have died. Help us to forgive fully and allow each other to completely forget. Help us to focus on Your greatness in us, instead of each other’s faults. Holy Spirit, breathe new life into each of us and into our marriage today.

APRIL 8 THE ENEMY’S FLAME WILL NOT KINDLE UPON YOU WHEN YOU WALK through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God. Fear not the evil threats of the wicked, for just as the flame consumes the chaff, so will My holy flame burn up their root of rottenness, and their blossom will ascend like dust. Just as the flame of the furnace was unable to harm My servants Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, neither shall the wicked fire bring harm to you, for I will be with you in the midst of the fire. The fire will have no power to harm your body, and not a hair on your head or your garments will be touched by the flame of the enemy. ISAIAH 43:2; 5:24; DANIEL 3 Prayer Declaration I will have no fear of the scorching flames of the wicked, for the Lord my God will protect me from being burned. In the name of Jesus I will overcome every fire of wickedness sent against my life. The enemy will not be able to burn up my harvest, and in Jesus’s name I quench every torch the enemy would use against my life.

APRIL 7 THE WICKED WILL BE DESTROYED BY THE FIRE OF GOD I WILL AVENGE the attack of the enemy against My righteous servants with the fire of My vengeance. I will rain down coals of fire and brimstone against the wicked. When you walk through the enemy’s fire, you will not be burned, and the flame of the enemy’s attack will not scorch you. I will kindle My fire in you, and it shall devour all the dryness that comes into your life. All your enemies will see that I have kindled it, and it shall not be quenched. My devouring fire will go before you, and the flame of My righteousness will burn behind you. PSALM 140:10; ISAIAH 43:2; EZEKIEL 20:47–48; JOEL 2:3 Prayer Declaration I will not fear the enemy’s flames or run when the enemy attacks. My Lord will rain down the fire of His vengeance upon them. He will place His holy flame of righteousness within my heart, and it will devour all dry and useless places within me. It will go before and behind me, and it shall never be quenched.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. – Isaiah 43:2

Paul describes a second, more overarching, consequence of Christ’s compelling love: So whoever is in Christ is a new creation. The creator God has established a new order through the coming of Jesus, the new Adam (2 Cor 4:6; Gal 6:15). Because the obedient Messiah has defeated the enslaving powers of sin and death (see Rom 5:18–19), new life exists for those who are “in Christ,” who are in personal union with Christ and incorporated into his body through baptism. God has brought about “new things” in the baptized that exceed anything we could achieve on our own—a new heart, a new ability to love God and others, a new capacity to participate in the actualization of God’s kingdom on earth, inaugurated by Jesus’ ministry. Paul refers to this divine work within us when he states that the old things have passed away; behold new things have come. These words evoke several passages from the book of Isaiah (e.g., 42:9; 43:18–19; 48:6). Just as the †new covenant ministry, through which God’s Spirit now transforms hearts, fulfills Jeremiah’s and Ezekiel’s prophecies (see 2 Cor 3:1–6), so also Isaiah’s promises of “new things” to come are being fulfilled following the world-changing death and resurrection of Christ Jesus.

The old covenant administration of law (or the Mosaic administration itself) did not offer a way of salvation or teach a message of justification that differs from the one found in the gospel of the new covenant. Recognizing that in God’s sight no one could be justified (Ps. 143:2), the old covenant promised justification grounded in “the LORD Our Righteousness” (Jer. 23:6). The old covenant witness was that righteousness had to be imputed, even to the great father of the Jews, Abraham (Gen. 15:6; cf. Rom. 4:3; Gal. 3:6). Accordingly, the literature of the Old Testament provides abundant evidence that God’s saints were people of faith (cf. Heb. 11). Paul came to understand very clearly that the old covenant itself taught that the just shall live by faith (Hab. 2:4; cf. Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11). Isaiah the prophet proclaimed: “In the LORD all the descendants of Israel will be found righteous” (Isa. 45:25); and later, “This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me, declares the LORD” (54:17).

A holy person will strive to be like our Lord Jesus Christ. He will not only live the life of faith in Him and draw from Him all his daily peace and strength, but he will also labor to have the mind that was in Him (Philippians 2:5) and to be conformed to His image (Romans 8:29). It will be his goal to bear with and forgive others, even as Christ forgave us (Colossians 3:13). He will desire to be unselfish, even as Christ pleased not Himself (Romans 15:3). He will want to walk in love, even as Christ loved us (Ephesians 5:2). He will aim to be lowly-minded and humble, even as Christ made Himself of no reputation and humbled Himself (Philippians 2:7). He will remember that Christ was a faithful witness for the truth (Revelation 1:5), that He came not to do His own will (John 6:38), that it was His meat and drink to do His Father’s will (John 4:34), that He would continually deny Himself in order to minister to others (Matthew 16:24), that He was meek and patient under undeserved insults (Isaiah 53:7), that He thought more of godly poor men than of kings (Luke 6:20), that He was full of love and compassion to sinners (Matthew 9:36), that He was bold and uncompromising in denouncing sin (Matthew 23:13-37), that He did not seek the praise of men when He might have had it (John 5:41), that He went about doing good (Acts 10:38), that He was separate from worldly people (John 17:16-19), that He continued instant in prayer (Luke 6:12), and that He would not let even His nearest relations stand in His way when God’s work was to be done (Luke 2:48-49).

AM WHO I AM. Exodus 3:14 I am the beginning and the end. I am the first, and I am the last. Revelation 22:13 I am light; in me there is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5 My hand laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I call to them, they stand forth together. Isaiah 48:13 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. Jeremiah 1:5 I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. John 15:16 I am he who blots out your transgressions. I will not remember your sins. Isaiah 43:25 To all who receive Me, who believe in My name, I give the right to become children of God. John 1:12 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16 My Spirit is within you. Ezekiel 36:27 I will not leave you. Deuteronomy 31:8 I will equip you for every good work I’ve planned. Hebrews 13:21 I gave you a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7 I will build my church through you, and the gates of hell will not overcome it. Matthew 16:18 I will comfort you as you wait. Isaiah 66:13 I will remind you this is all real. John 14:26 I am on my way. Revelation 3:11 My steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 138:8 In just a little while… I am coming and I will take you to the place where I am. Hebrews 10:37; John 14:3 You will inherit the earth. Psalm 25:13 You will be with Me. I will wipe every tear from your eyes, and death will be no more. Behold, I am making all things new. Revelation 21:3–5 My kingdom is coming. My will will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10

Comfort Numbers 14:9 Deuteronomy 31:6 Psalm 27:10 Psalm 46:7 Psalm 73:23 Psalm 94:14 Psalm 103:17 Isaiah 41:17 Matthew 28:20 John 6:37-39 Romans 8:38-39 Peace Exodus 33:14 Numbers 6:24-26 Psalm 85:8 Psalm 119:165 Isaiah 26:3 Isaiah 32:17 Isaiah 57:2 Matthew 11:29-30 John 14:27 Romans 5:1-2 Ephesians 2:14 Colossians 3:15 Fear Deuteronomy 1:17 Deuteronomy 7:21 1 Chronicles 16:25-26 Nehemiah 4:14 Psalm 4:8 Psalm 28:7 Psalm 56:3 Proverbs 16:6 Isaiah 35:4 Isaiah 41:10 Jeremiah 15:20 Joel 3:16 2 Corinthians 1:10 Philippians 4:9 Hebrews 13:6 Anxiety Genesis 28:15 Job 34:12 Psalm 20:7 Psalm 50:15 Psalm 55:22 Psalm 68:19 Psalm 86:7 Proverbs 3:5-6 Isaiah 40:11 Isaiah 41:13 Matthew 11:28 John 16:33 For Those Who Feel Weak 1 Chronicles 16:11 Psalm 37:10-11 Psalm 55:18 Psalm 62:11 Psalm 72:13 Psalm 142:3 Psalm 147:6 Isaiah 57:15 Jeremiah 10:6 Habakkuk 3:19 2 Corinthians 12:9 Ephesians 3:16 Despair Psalm 46:1 Psalm 100:5 Psalm 119:116 Isaiah 40:29 Isaiah 51:6 Jeremiah 32:17 Ezekiel 34:16 Daniel 2:23 Haggai 2:4 Ephesians 1:18 2 Thessalonians 3:3 Hebrews 10:35 James 1:12 Grief Psalm 34:7 Psalm 71:20-21 Psalm 116:15 Psalm 119:28 Psalm 119:50 Psalm 121:5-8 Isaiah 43:2 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Times of Trouble Psalm 9:12 Psalm 34:7 Psalm 37:39-40 Psalm 46:1 Psalm 50:15 Psalm 121:5-8 Psalm 138:7 John 16:33 Feeling Desperate and Depressed Psalm 30:5 Psalm 34:18 Psalm 40:1-2 Psalm 42:11 Psalm 126:5 Zephaniah 3:17 John 10:10

But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Isaiah 43:1-2

Study Guide for Chapter 1 The Way to Freedom Overview Everything around us operates on the principle of submission, and to the extent that submission is heeded, to the same extent that way is prospered. Submission is a choice toward life. Adam chose death, and we are born into this curse. Submission to God includes submission to delegated authority.* It is out of God’s love for us that He asks us to submit. Authority is and flows from God Himself, and the principle of submission to authority is eternal, sacred and foundational.* Where is your heart? Are you fighting, or are you surrendered? Adam’s curse is broken as we surrender and choose the way of the cross as Christ did.* Just as Christ manifests absolute submission and surrender, Satan manifests absolute rebellion.* God created us to depend on Him, and only what is done in His Spirit will last. Through the mystery of submission to authority, God is restoring creation back to innocence. When we submit, we become part of that work.* * These topics are developed more fully in later chapters. Reflection and Action 1. Reflect on your day. Write down some of the many different ways you saw the principle of submission to authority at work in nature, in society and in your personal life. How might your day have been different if the response in each of those cases was defying submission? What was the result of submission in each of those cases? 2. Note each time that the words “choice” or “choose” were used in this chapter. What are we choosing between? And what is the outcome of the choices made? In the Garden of Eden, what did the two trees represent? What was God’s purpose in allowing Adam and Eve to choose between them? Can you recall an incident recently in which you were faced with the same kind of choice? How did you respond? 3. Prayerfully review all of the Scripture passages related to submission within the Trinity itself. How does this glimpse into the very heart of God change the way you think about submission? Meditate on Isaiah 43:10–11. How would you explain to someone else the concept of God and authority? Why is this principle so important and holy? 4. It can be painful to admit, even to ourselves, that we may imitate Lucifer, rather than Christ, in our attitude toward authority. However, by allowing God to reveal truth to us, we are taking our first steps toward godliness. With that perspective, review these questions from the text and ask the Lord to speak to you through them in any way He chooses. 5. What are the reasons why we find it difficult to submit to authority? And how is it possible for us to remain in rebellion for years after having received Jesus as our Savior? Write down specific times you can look back and see how you remained in rebellion. How would you want to handle those times now? 6. The author writes: “Nothing will remain in eternity that is not of the Spirit.” Explain what this means to you and how it applies to your own ministry. 7. What does God want to accomplish through giving us the freedom to choose submission? Write down any changes in your thoughts and attitude toward submission as you’ve studied this chapter. Close your time by thanking God for His kindness to open your eyes to the things He showed you through this chapter.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. —Isaiah 43:2

But forget all that--it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.” Isaiah 43:14

But now thus saith the Lord, that created thee, O Jacob: and He that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee: I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee, and through the floods, that they do not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the very fire, thou shalt not be burnt, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”   isaiah 43:1-2

Isaiah 43:2.

Sin spins webs of confusion. Repentance breaks those webs and replaces sin with clarity, but sin does real damage, I have done real damage. Repentance means more than saying you are sorry. According to puritan thomas Watson and the doctrine of repentance, true repentance is distinguished from counterfeit repentance by 6 ingredients. Recognition of sin. Luke 15:17, Acts 26:18, Sorrow for sin. Psalm 38:18 51:17, Zechariah 12:10, 19:8 Confession of sin Nehemiah 9:2, 2 Samuel 24:17, Daniel 9:6, 1cor 11:31 Shame for sin. Ezekiel 43:10, Luke 15:21 Hatred for sin. Psalm 119:104, Ezekiel 36:31, Roman’s 7, 15:23 Turning from sin. Isaiah 55:7, Ephesians Because sin is a matter of the head, heart, And hands, it corrupts our thinking, feeling, and doing. Repentance is known by its fruit. Some believe falsely that because Christ has covered our sin and taken our shame on the cross, we should have no consciousness of shame. Others falsely believe that saying you are sorry and then continuing on with no real change, business as usual. But the most dangerous and most insidious misconception, is from those who believe that sin is only a matter of practice, not also, internal desire. Oh! If only sin was so small an enemy as this. Theologian and pastor Mark Jones explains, “Sin is a parasite of the good. It feeds off of what God created. Sins nature is therefore understood as an ethical problem, not a physical problem. The false belief that sin exists as a physical problem, and that it can be domesticated or stewarded for good, is not a biblical idea. It is hell-bound. Thomas Watson comments “loving of sin is worse than committing it. A good man may run into a sinful action unawares but to love sin is desperate. To love sin shows that the will is in sin and the more of the will there is in sin the greater the sin. Willfulness makes it a sin, not to be purged by sacrifice.” Our language reveals the sins we love. The reason that loving our son is worse than committing it, we WILL commit the sins that we love eventually. Repentance must go to the root, to the reckless godless love of sin.