1/8/2025

My first week of full-time ministry was Valentine’s week back in 1985 (yes, 40 years ago this year!). It was supposed to start several weeks earlier, but I came down with the flu.

So I postponed starting.

Then we got hit with an ice storm on Feb. 2. It was a record breaking 11 inches of ice! We were living in the country, east of Huntsville, and were absolutely frozen in. At night, we would go outside and listen to the tree limbs breaking in the nearby mountains. Other than that (which sounded like shotguns going off), there was absolute silence. We hauled water from the creek, cooked on a wood stove . . . and had one of the greatest weeks of our lives. And it was a perfect way to end my life at home before starting my career in ministry.

Which, of course, was postponed again. 

The pastor in Kentucky didn’t understand and kept calling, wondering where I was and if I was really coming up there. But he didn’t understand that we were absolutely iced in and couldn’t get out of our driveway to go anywhere. 

We have another one coming this week. The 3 to 5 inches of snow sound a whole lot better than the 11 inches of ice we had back in 1985! But still, we’ll probably be snowed in for a couple of days.

I was at the grocery store last night and a woman was buying 8 boxes of cereal! I saw a picture of a pickup truck in Gadsden loaded down with bread and snacks. 

We’re only going to be snowed in at the most for a couple of days! The temperature will be above freezing on Sunday and the sun will be out. 

We’ll be fine! 

What does that mean for us on Sunday? We’re not absolutely sure yet. But we’re making a plan B in case we can’t make it for in-person worship.

We’ll keep you posted. 

But these times are never the time to be worried. Prepared, yes. But not hoarding cereal, bread and milk, worried. 

We usually think of the prophets as calling fire and brimstone down on the heads of the disobedient . . . and there’s a place for that (and plenty of scripture!). However, there are times when God’s people need to hear words of encouragement – especially in uncertain times. 

Isaiah 40-55 speaks to people going through uncertain times. The very first word in chapter 40 is “Comfort,” and that’s the main theme of this section of Isaiah. As you read through it, the comfort becomes the greatest when the Suffering Servant is willing to die for the sins of the people (chapter 53). 

But earlier, in chapter 43, we read these words:

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life. Do not fear, for I am with you . . . 

“Do not fear!” the prophet says. This phrase occurs in Isaiah more than any other book, and it appears 10 times just in chapters 40-55 – twice in these verses!

These words are spoken to a people who are on a journey back home. They’ve been in exile in Babylon, but now God is freeing them and promising to be with them and to protect them along the way. 

But these are not just any people. These are people who belong to God. 

Will there be obstacles? Yes. It would be great if God promised us we’d never have to face difficult times, but that’s not the case. No, instead, God promises us “yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” Why? “For thou art with me.” 

So, no, there’s no guarantee against danger in this world. 

But there is a guarantee of God’s Presence with us, no matter what comes against us. 

We still live in a fallen world. If we slip on the ice, our bones will still break. We’ll continue to get older. We’ll lose folks we love. We will still see sin all around us. 

The world around us still groans, waiting for the day of redemption (remember Romans 8?). BUT! God is still on the throne.

The waters may rage and the fire may fall, but God is with us every step of the way. He is the Lord our God, the Holy One of Israel, our Savior.

Be safe! Trust God! 

Blessings,
Pastor Terry