The Scripture passage for this Sunday morning is Isaiah 43:1-7.

There are many people who believe that God wants all people who believe in him to be happy and prosper. In fact, if we aren’t happy and prospering, it is very likely that we are doing something wrong. If we struggle with depression – the cause is our sin and nothing to do with biology. If we lost our job – we need to look at our relationship with God (who wants us to prosper) because the reason lies there.

“God wants us to prosper, be happy, and be blessed,” they say. Prosperity, happiness, and blessing are all signs of a healthy relationship with God; sickness, poverty, and our other struggles are a result of our sin.

Now, in many cases the arguments are more nuanced for the ‘prosperity gospel’ to account for things like tragedies, genetics, and other factors but the underlying message is the same: “God’s ultimate goal for us is happiness and prosperity.”

And that couldn’t be more wrong. Nowhere in the overarching narrative of Scripture is it implied that a relationship with God means smooth sailing and instant blessing on earth. The only land Abraham owned was the spot where he buried Sarah. Moses only got to see the Promised Land, but he could not enter along with the generation that died in the desert because of their disobedience. David and Solomon experienced spectacular falls from grace. God’s people were sent into exile. Jesus, God’s only Son was crucified. Stephen was martyred. The Apostles constantly suffered for their faith, and many were martyred. Scripture, it seems, shows us that Christians may in fact have to suffer more than others.

That brings us to Isaiah 43. In this passage it is clear that God is not promising to keep His people from experiencing hardship. God proclaims that they are His, He has redeemed them.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.

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.

When.

The word “when” is important. God didn’t say, “If you pass through the waters,” or even, “Should you pass through the waters,” (as though they could potentially fall upon hardship) – he said, “When.” And God promises more. “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, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life.”

In the light of that promise we are forced to wrestle with God’s sovereignty and make sense of God promising to be with His people through hardships and promising to give people in exchange for the lives of His people. Surely this raises many questions, and many that we don’t have the answers to.

In the wake of the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, and the rise of “New Calvinism” in North America Trevin Wax wrote the following in a blog post on the Gospel Coalition website:

“In a post 9/11 world, shallow evangelicalism didn’t have the answers that many younger evangelicals were longing for. Many of us eventually came to grips with a majestic, ferocious, and irresistibly attractive God who burst all the boxes we had wanted to keep Him in.
God was in control.
The evil of 9/11, though not approved by God, is somehow part of His master plan.
The cross reminds us that God can bring the greatest good from the greatest evil.
No pain is therefore senseless.
And God will one day defeat evil forever. 

Reformed theology gave a younger generation a vision of a God who is big enough to have unknown reasons for allowing evil acts to take place and big enough to defeat evil for good. The doctrine of God’s sovereignty wasn’t about scoring debate points with theological nerds, but a haven of rest and assurance in the midst of turbulent times.” (http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevinwax/2011/09/06/september-11-and-the-rise-of-new-calvinism/)

Isaiah 43:1-7 reminds us that when we pass through hardships, God is with us. Somehow, God uses these times to bring glory to His name – because in the end that is where our comfort lies. Verses 1 and 7 form a bracket around this passage, reminding and assuring us of our true identity: God created us, redeemed us, made us His children, calls us by name, walks with us, loves us... He did (and does) all this because we are created to bring Him glory.

God did not create us for prosperity and happiness. No, He created us to strive for holiness and to bring Him glory. That radically different perspective on life allows us, like Trevin Wax, to affirm God’s sovereignty and find rest and assurance in it even in the midst of tragedies and hardships. In the midst of sadness, grief, and loss God assures us that He is with us and that He already provided the final answer to evil and suffering when Jesus died for us on the cross.