‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭43‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — 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.”

Let’s take a moment to think about how the disciples got in the middle of this storm in the first place. They got in the boat with Jesus. They made the choice to retreat with Jesus. In this life we are not promised peace and comfort, however, we are promised to never be alone. Even in the times when we step out of the boat to walk on water, Jesus is with us. Even when we fall out of the boat into worldly things, Jesus is with us. Even when we choose not to depend on Him, Jesus is with us.

We have all been called to follow Jesus and get into the boat. Isaiah tells us we have been summoned by name. I would like to think if it was an audible voice I would hear my Heavenly Father say, “my daughter, Julie.” We may not always understand the storms we are called to walk through. We can trust that God created us for such a time as this. This trust includes our actions and reactions. When God created us, He knew what we would be dealing with today. This includes the current state of our church and the world we live in.

Recently at our church’s Vacation Bible School, we learned that we can trust God to always go with us. Think about how often we don’t want to go places alone. That day in the boat, the disciples weren’t alone. Jesus was with them. Who did they turn to when they got scared? They turned to Jesus. 

Let’s pray. Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for summoning me by name. I desire to get in the boat with You. Help me to take time to retreat with you. I desire to be dependent on You throughout my day. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.