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b'The vast landscape stretched before me, unending. Mountain peaks jutted harshly against a darkening sky and rivers churned angrily. Taking a deep breath, I paused to tighten the laces of my shoes. \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153I know You have created me and called me by name\\u2014I am Yours.\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d The wind snatched my words away, but my heart felt a bit lighter as I carefully made my way down the rocky slope.\\nAt the roaring riverside, my stomach clenched in fear. \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153Must I pass through?\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d I pleaded to the One who loves me like no other. In the depths of my soul, His whisper echoed: \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153I will be with you.\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d The water was ice cold, and I could not catch my breath\\u2014but miraculously, the currents never went over my head.\\nMy mouth twisted into a grim smile when I approached a forest ablaze. Smoke billowed from the tops of trees, and the heat was so intense I stopped my journey forward out of sheer instinct. \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153I can\\u2019t do this\\u2014I will be burned!\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d I cried aloud. \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153I am making a way.\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d His words swelled louder than the flames raging before me. \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153I will help you, I will sustain you, I will carry you, I will rescue you.\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d Every promise was balm to my aching heart. Emboldened, I picked up a twig charred by the fire. With the tip covered in ash, I wrote on my hand: \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153The Lord\\u2019s\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d.\\nHe brought me through the flames unharmed\\u2014I danced with joy and sang: \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153In the Lord alone are deliverance and strength!\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d When my feet grew tired and my dancing slowed, He showed me the way I should continue on my journey. I was so thirsty, my tongue felt like sand. When I felt as though I could not bear it any longer, He had compassion and there before me was a sparkling stream of clear water. I drank until I was satisfied. \\u2022 Savannah Coleman\\n\\u2022 Throughout the Bible, God showed His great love to His people, rescuing them again and again. His promise, \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153I will be with you\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d (Isaiah 43:2), foreshadowed the coming of Jesus\\u2014who is Immanuel, \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153God with us\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:22-23). Jesus is the Promised One, the ultimate Rescuer who saved us from sin and death by dying on the cross and raising from the dead. If you\\u2019ve put your trust in Jesus, you can know that you are His forever (John 10:27-29). What hard things are you facing today? How might God be inviting you to rely on Him? \\n\\u2022 If you want to dig deeper into Jesus\\u2019s promises: Isaiah 44:1-5; 45:24; 46:4-10; 48:17; 49:10-13.\\n\\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153\\u2026when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned\\u2026For I am the Lord your God\\u2026\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d Isaiah 43:2b-3a (NIV)\\n\\xa0\\nRead Verses:\\nIsa.51.11-Isa.51.16|Isa.54.10-Isa.54.17|John.19.30|Isa.50.10'