The Savior of Israel
43 But
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.
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.
I gave Egypt
as a ransom for your freedom;
I gave Ethiopia[a] and Seba in your
place.
4 Others were given in exchange for you.
I traded their lives for yours
because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you Isaiah 43:1-4
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.
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.
I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom;
I gave Ethiopia[a] and Seba in your place.
4 Others were given in exchange for you.
I traded their lives for yours
because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you Isaiah 43:1-4
Whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. - 1 John 5:4 (NRSV)
I frequently travel by plane, and generally the flights are pleasant. On one occasion, however, the pilot alerted us to buckle our seat belts because we would be passing through an area of turbulence. The flight attendant started to move briskly about the cabin, and I tensed up with fear. I was not prepared for such turbulence, and neither were the rest of the passengers. After what seemed an eternity, though in reality it was only a few minutes, the plane regained stability and I breathed a sigh of relief. As the pilot had said, the turbulence was localized.
Prayer
Loving God, in all the challenges we encounter, stand by us and help us remain faithful to you. We pray as Jesus taught us, saying, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.”* Amen. *Luke 11:2-4 (KJV).
Prayer focusTravel crews
