You may remember the story about my last 1½ years in which things kept coming at me from so many directions: physical suffering without answers, stress, issues in the lives of family and friends, a mountain of things needing attention, mental overload, and sometimes just pure evil. At times I’ve felt stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed.

Through it all, God was so close, continually giving me verses that spoke to the situation of the day as well as verses for the overall situation, people to pray for me, and my pastor’s giving me a word from the Lord that confirmed all the rest.

You may also remember about the night at a prayer meeting at church that my husband told me the Lord gave him a word for me:

“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.
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’” (Isaiah 43:1-2 NKJV).

At that time, the Lord was often telling me to look at Him, take my eyes off my problems, and take a step. Before long, it became “look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith, and take another step.”

This morning in my prayer time, I saw more in these verses: we are protected from permanent damage.

Weapons are formed and used; the enemy makes plans against us and puts them into play, battling us in our minds and with distractions. Our prodigals make terrible decisions, and worry works to overcome our lives. We can become dismayed, and just when we think we’re at a place of peace, rest, and trust in God, it seems to hit again. The fight of the enemy to kill, steal, and destroy our prodigals is also used against us and our faith, because we stand in the gap.

God didn’t promise an easy life, but He promised we are His and He will never be away from us.

There is one attribute of God that spoke to me in remembering His promise that we would not be overflowed by the water not burned or scorched by the fire: God is good, consummately good. This is important to remember, because His allowing us to go through these things doesn’t seem good, but He is:

• He gives us good and perfect gifts (James 1:17), no matter what life presently looks like.
• He works all (Papa Henderson quote: “When the Bible says all, that means there ain’t no more”) for our good, because we love Him and keep His commandments (Romans 8:28).
• He never stops being good and doing good to us (Psalm 23:6).

We will not drown in this flood of pain, and we will not be permanently scarred by the fire. We are protected from damage.

The present may be hard and painful, but we will be victorious! Jesus Himself said in Luke 12:32: “‘Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom’” (Luke 12:32).

God is good, and He does good (Psalm 119:68). He is consummately good, and there is not a smidgeon of evil or bad in Him. He “is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble” (Nahum 1:7). He is “good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works” (Psalm 145:9; remember what Papa Henderson said about “all”).

We can trust God because of who He is and because “[t]here has not failed one word of all His good promise” (1 Kings 8:56).

Psalm 116:1-10 seems to describe this victory in battle:

“I love the Lord, because He has heard
My voice and my supplications.
Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.

“The pains of death surrounded me,
And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me;
I found trouble and sorrow.
Then I called upon the name of the Lord:
‘O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!’

“Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
Yes, our God is merciful.
The Lord preserves the simple;
I was brought low, and He saved me.
Return to your rest, O my soul,
For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

“For You have delivered my soul from death,
My eyes from tears,
And my feet from falling.
I will walk before the Lord
In the land of the living.
I believed, therefore I spoke.”

PRAYER: Our Father, when times are especially difficult with our prodigals, “[c]ause [us] to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do [we] trust” (Psalm 143:8). Help us see Your goodness in all of this and to see Your mercy each morning.

“Cause [us] to know the way in which [we] should walk” in this journey with our prodigals, “[f]or we lift up [our souls] to You” (Psalm 143:8). “Set a watch, O Lord, before [our mouths]; keep the door of [our] lips” (Psalm 141:3 KJV). Give us boldness to speak everything we should and strength not to say things we shouldn’t, for You alone know the preparedness of the heart to hear truth.

Father, help us to walk through this battle, and keep us safe.

It is Your goodness, God, that leads our prodigals to repentance, and we trust in Your goodness (Romans 2:4). It is because of Your goodness that they are afflicted, so they learn Your statutes (Psalm 119:71). We trust Your goodness.

Save our prodigals. Sanctify them, and fill them with Your Spirit. Protect their brains and bodies for their ministries, and fulfill Your call and purpose in their lives.

In Jesus’ name we pray.