He Is with Me in Life’s Deep Waters

This heartfelt article explores the unshakable truth of God’s presence through life’s most painful moments. Drawing from Isaiah 43 and personal stories of hardship and healing, it reminds us that He is with me in life’s deep waters—not only sustaining us through trials but using them to draw us closer to Him. When we feel like we’re barely staying afloat, His presence is our anchor and our promise.

Every trial we endure is an invitation to grow deeper with God.

Few things are more uncomfortable than being sick away from home. On one trip I came down with a bad case of the flu. A dear friend brought her vaporizer for me to use. The machine was powerful. It didn’t emit soft, translucent wisps that quickly disappeared. The dense vapor it put out was thick and white. The display captivated me, and because I could do nothing else, I began to notice the varied types of soothing steam that drifted toward me.

I thought of James’ observation concerning the brevity of life: “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14 NKJV). I now share with you my never-before-published results. Based on the random samplings throughout the afternoon, I arrived at the conclusion that a vapor’s longest life is seven seconds. The 70 or so years I will dwell on earth are only seven seconds compared with the everlasting, unending life I will have in Heaven.

In the opening verse of Isaiah 43, before the comforting promise in verse 2 of God’s faithful presence in trials, the Lord tenderly tells His children that they are His – He formed them, He redeemed them, and He called them by name. This affirming truth is necessary in order for children to trust a Father’s companionship during hard times. As a loving Father, God assures His children of His commitment to stay by their side as they journey. As a wise Father, He tells His loved ones they will encounter deep waters and fire.

The first word in Isaiah 43:2 is when, not if. Trials are a given reality for all people, those who are redeemed and those who are not. Jesus indicated this reality in Matthew 5:45. A friend wrote me a note saying that for some reason, we think because we’re Christians, we should get a discount on suffering! Although we don’t know how deep the waters or how intense the flames might be, we do know that as God’s children, we can be certain of His protection when we pass through them.

Notice that the wording in this verse specifies that we will pass through the waters and walk through the fire. We must endure the difficulty, but our hope is based on the knowledge that we will come out on the other side. We can persevere and actually make progress through our trials.

We must all endure affliction, but God can use whatever we go through for our spiritual growth. Therefore, Paul exclaimed, “So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without His unfolding grace” (2 Corinthians 4:16 MSG).

We don’t have to look far to witness examples of God’s faithful presence in life’s difficulties. When everyone else had deserted Paul at his first defense, the Lord was with him (2 Timothy 4:17). A friend told me how she had prayed for safety as her daughter and her family drove to be with them at Christmas. On the way, there was a traffic accident, and her daughter was permanently injured. My friend asked God why He hadn’t heard her prayer. His answer to her was, “But I did hear your prayer. I was with her, just as I have been with you.” In this life, we will pass through deep waters, but we will not be alone.

God tells us that as we go through the rivers, we will not drown. Whatever our trials, we will be able to endure. The Lord sets limits on the rivers we must cross; the waters will not overflow us. What a great comfort it is to know that our Father superintends our circumstances. His grace is sufficient for living as we wade through deep waters, or for death when the number of our days has been completed.

After giving a speech in which I announced my findings concerning the longevity of vapors, I received this thought in the mail: “Thank you for sharing about life essentially lasting only seven seconds. I want you to know that I plan to spend my remaining three and a half seconds deepening my intimacy with God.”

How about you, dear friend?

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You’re not alone. Let us walk with you into a deeper relationship with God.