Below is a message addressed to the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Inter-America from President of the Inter-American Division, Elie Henry–IAD News Staff
July 5, 2024 | Miami, Florida, United States | By: Elie Henry, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Inter-America
Hello Brothers and Sisters,
I am happy to greet you on this first Sabbath of the month of July.
Today, I want to invite you to read and reflect on some verses from Isaiah 43, a text from the Bible that contains very timely promises for the beginning of the second half of the year 2024.
I highlight some phrases from the chapter that begins by declaring: “Thus says Jehovah, your Creator… Do not fear… you are mine. When you pass through the rivers, I will be with you… I am your Savior.”
I love this, you know? And it fills me with confidence to know that no matter what problems we face, Jesus assures us of His presence.
Later in the chapter, He confirms us as His witnesses and invites us to forget any shortcomings of the past. It doesn’t matter if during the first part of the year we did something wrong, if we grew tired, if we distanced ourselves or even forgot about God. He is ready to support us as He did time and time again with the people of Israel: In verse 19 he assures us, “See, I am doing a new thing, I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
You see? Not only does he warn us of the trials, but He assures us of His love and companionship. He recognizes that we are inadequate and yet He invites us to speak of Him. Despite our failures, He is willing to pave the way for new experiences with Him.
And in the end, what encourages us most is that, despite our faults, He forgives us, blots out our transgressions and forgets our sins.
Let us face the second part of the year with that certainty for ourselves and share it with others as well.
Maranatha.