Hi friends! Have you ever felt beaten down, as though everything around you is crumbling? Does it seem like “bad” in the world far outpaces “good?” Are you weary of the struggles of life?

I don’t know about you, but I find it difficult in the midst of a storm to see much good around me. Yet, I am reminded of God’s promises to Israel in Isaiah 43:

But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
² When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
³ For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior…

~Isaiah 43:1-3

The passage was obviously written to Israel, but the principles apply to us who have been redeemed. We have nothing to fear because He is with us in the midst of storms! In fact, He is the Lord our God, the Holy One, our Savior, and He is responsible for us in the midst of our storms!

Faithful words from a recent ONE FOR ISRAEL devotional also drove a key point home: Living in freedom leaves the door open for evil to enter in! Whether freedom in Christ, freedom as citizens of a free country, or any other freedom, the juxtaposition is necessary.

God made only good things, as Genesis chapter one makes abundantly clear. But it wasn’t long before evil slithered into the story and planted a few bad seeds of his own. This was the cost of creating the possibility for genuine love. Real love must be voluntary, and volition requires freedom. Freedom must necessarily leave the door open, and evil entered the scene.

Now when we look at our world, we see both good and bad. Some like to see only one or the other: “Humanity is basically good!” Or the opposite direction: “We are a generation of spoilt narcissists!” Neither picture, I hope you’ll agree, is complete. We have plenty of both good and bad in uncomfortable and contradictory juxtaposition.

Today, may I encourage you to do two things? First, read the full article (a 2-minute read), THE MEANING OF THE WHEAT AND THE TARES FOR OUR TIMES. Secondly, read and meditate upon the promises of God in the entire chapter of Isaiah 43. I just did both, and God’s Word washed away heaviness and gloom. Our Lord promises good things, even in the midst of evil days.

Be encouraged today as you spend time in God’s Word!