November 2: Isaiah 43:1-7
 
Key Verse: Isaiah 43:5
Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.
 
Devotion:
It is no secret Isaiah 43 holds special meaning to me, not just because it was the chapter from which we chose a verse to use as a tag-line for our youth organisation, but because people have pointed me back to this chapter on so many occasions – people who do not know what I have done with and without God.
 
This is a reminder to the Jews that God has chosen them to be the example of what His love can do in our lives. Even when they went astray and needed a kick in the pants to get back on track, God continued to be there and encourage them in all walks of life. Here is where God was reminding them they would be called to be a people together, worshipping God. Not as split communities competing against each other, but as one family working to live together with God!
 
God’s words of encouragement, delivered by Isaiah, are He is with us every step of our lives. When we feel overwhelmed with the world around us, He will make sure we can make it through. When we are drowning in the worldly things around us, He will keep our head above the water. He does not say we have to swim harder and out-live the troubles through our own strength... He says He will make sure we survive.
 
This may mean a few hard knocks in our lives after which we will feel like we have been battered; but because of His great and enduring love for us, He will ensure we survive. This could be other people popping up just at the right time to hold our hands, or something changing in our lives – but God is behind each and every step, helping us along the way!
 
Points to Ponder:
How often do you feel overwhelmed?
 
How many of those times have you given the situation to God?