Our Firm Foundation

"But now, this is what the LORD says--He who created you, Jacob, He who formed you, Israel: 

'Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 

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, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior'..." (Isaiah 43:1-3a) 

Dear Friend, 

My life has been forever impacted by the hymns that I learned in my youth and throughout my adulthood. In various moments, they arise to remind me of great truths, truths that sometimes I cannot even fully grasp. Sometimes they fill me with joy; at other times, they bring comfort. Once in a while, though, they remind me of truth, and enable me to endure, even without resolution, and even in times of great sorrow or worry. 

In the midst of prayer this morning, a line came to mind:

"When through the deep waters".

That was it, just five words. It was enough. 

I'd like to share the words to this great hymn with you (and I may have already shared it, but it is worthy of repetition)! I dread even to break up the hymn with comments, as it is so rich and full.

"How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, 

Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!

What more can He say than to you He hath said,

To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?"

"God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the sould, firm and secure." (Hebrews 6:18-19a)

"Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,

For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;

I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, 

Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand."

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10)

"When through the deep waters I call thee to go,

The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;

For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,

And sanctify to thee they deepest distress."

"But now, this is what the LORD says--He who created you, Jacob, He who formed you, Israel: 'Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 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, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior'..." (Isaiah 43:1-3a) 

"When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,

My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;

The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design

Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine."

"But now, this is what the LORD says--He who created you, Jacob, He who formed you, Israel: 'Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 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, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior'..." (Isaiah 43:1-3a) 

"The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,

I will not, I will not desert to his foes;

That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,

I'll never, no, never, no, never forsake!"

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave your; never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)

Even in the process of typing and preparing the text of this great hymn, and its Scripture references (of which there are many more), I am overcome with emotion: how great our God is! Rather than bog this post down with lots of words, I will end here and we can reflect on it together in another post. Will you prayerfully reflect on the hymns and Scriptures, and share with me your thoughts and questions? We'll proceed from there.

Dearest Heavenly Father, how we praise and thank You, for You are our firm foundation; You are our life, our strength, our truth. We join our hearts, our minds, and our lives to You, and to Your purposes for our lives.