Walking through Fire?

Fear not, 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.

For I am the Lord, your God, 

the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

I give Egypt for your ransom,

Cush and Seba in your stead. 

Since you are precious and honored in my sight,

and because I love you...

(Isaiah 43:1b-4a NIV)

Are you sinking in the cold water of pain? Is it swirling around your chest, suffocating, pressing, closing in?

What about the fire of anxiety and trouble? 

Are the hot flames leaping closer, sizzling, smoking, threatening to devour you in their intensity?

Do the troubles of life consume you? 

Too much to handle? Too emotionally painful?

As a 40+ year survivor of a significant burn injury, I know not to take this passage literally.
God never promises a peaceful, painless journey through life. Actually, He warns that we'll experience trouble and heartbreak along the road.

But He vows to never leave you, never give up on you. 

He promises to carry you through the water and the fire.

Why? Because He loves you.

Through more surgeries than I can remember. Countless skin graphs. Extended hospital stays. Self-esteem issues. Pain.
God has carried me through this journey. He's never left me. 
I trust Him.
What about you? 
Will you trust Him?