December 16 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

The Lord did not say to Israel and to us that we would never have to go through the fire and through the water. He did say, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you" and "When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned."

We may not claim what God never promised. We may not think or teach that God will lead us only in "green pastures" and not in "dark valleys." But we must claim what God has promised—that he will go with us. God may demand of us that we cross a river or go through a fire, but we don't have to go it alone.

The people of Israel knew what that meant. They knew that their ancestors had once passed through the waters of the Red Sea and did not drown because the Lord was with them (Exodus 14). So they could also expect that in the darkest hour of their history, when they would be scattered throughout the nations, the Lord would lead them back through the water and the flames.

We should know this even better than the church of the old covenant, for we live after the birth at Bethlehem and the death on Golgotha. The Son of God has come to us, and he has become our trailblazer. He has walked through our deep waters, and he has passed through the flames. There is no danger he has not seen, no weakness he has not experienced, no temptation he has not faced.

In a sense we are reliving the pilgrimage of the people of Israel. The city is still beyond the horizon and the road is long. God has not promised to spare us the fright of passing through the waters. We may have to go through the flame. But God has promised that we will not drown. We will not perish.

Christ is with us and so we will reach the city, safe and sound.

REFLECTIONS

What "rivers" or "fires" threaten you now? What does it mean to you that Jesus will be at your side as you endure these things?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.