When you pass through the waters, I will be with you
And the waves, will not overcome you
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you
I have called you by name, you are MineFor I am the Lord your God
I am the Lord your God
(I am) the Holy One of Israel, your SaviorI am the Lord
Do not fear
This song has been running through my mind as I’ve scrolled through Facebook over and over again these last 24 hours looking at pictures and reading the posts from so many friends and family in Houston.
Because Houston is my hometown when I saw the picture at the intersection of Kirby and Shepherd completely underwater I knew exactly the major amount of traffic that is normally backed up there. When I saw the first story of a house in a particular neighborhood flooded, I thought of countless people who live near by. And when I heard water from the bayou was being released to keep the dam from breaking, I could imagine the fear. The bayou runs east/west through a large section of Houston, including right behind my parents’ property.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you
And the waves, will not overcome you…
I know during these times of major devastation and trials it is hard to believe God is really with us. And if your house is flooded and you’ve lost so much, you probably already feel overcome. I can only image! So to say God is with you, and draws near in times of trouble sounds trite. And yet more than any other command in the Bible it is said, “Do not fear.”
Clearly, God knows how much we need this contrary reminder to our human default mode of spiraling down into worry, stress, anxiety and fear. But how is it even possible not to when your whole life has been turned upside down?
To this there are no Hallmark sentiments or concrete solutions I can give you. But I can point you to Christ. Becaue he knows what it is like to endure great injustice and tragedy, he knows how we feel. In fact, he descended onto Earth to get in the boat with us so that he could identify with us in the pain and suffering.
So my only offering if you are flooded with fear right now no matter what your circumstances is you would feel his presence and know he is with you and for you. I know that doesn’t fix anything and you likely have a long road ahead. But my hope and prayer is he would take your fear and give you his perfect peace as he passes through the waters with you.
