Blessed in the Journey

Prayer

I want to begin this morning by sharing one of my favorite poems… with words that have been spoken across centuries, offered at doorsteps, at partings, at weddings, funerals, and journeys, An Old Irish Blessing, which is sometimes attributed to Saint Patrick himself though we really do not know the origin.

"May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face. And may God hold you in the palm of His hand."

These lines from the traditional Irish blessing are more than poetic sentiment. They express a deep, hope that lies within each of our hearts—that our roads will be smooth, our burdens light, our journeys safe, and that our God near. And remarkably, they echo truths we find in the Word of God.  So I hope today to take this Traditional Irish blessing and use it for an outline for the message, and whether you came on a bike or are simply traveling through life, we’re going to explore Isaiah 43:1–3, a divine blessing and promise from the mouth of God. 

Before we read the passage, let’s understand its original setting. Isaiah 43 was spoken to the people of Israel at a time of great despair. They had been conquered by Babylon, their temple destroyed, and many were living in exile—displaced from their homes, disillusioned, and unsure of their identity and future.

And yet, in the middle of that devastation, God speaks not condemnation, but comfort. Isaiah chapters 40–55 are often called the “Book of Comfort.” Here, God reminds His people that He hasn’t forgotten them. Even though they walked through fire and flood—through literal and spiritual exile—He is still their Redeemer. He still calls them by name. He still walks with them.

That was the promise to Israel. And in Christ, we see these words take on even deeper meaning—for we too are a people redeemed, called, and held by God.

Let’s read it together:

Isaiah 43:1–3 “1 But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. 2 When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. 3 For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place.”

Let’s look at this promise in four points, alongside the blessing we’ve already heard.

Point 1: May the Road Rise Up to Meet You — You Are Known and Called

Isaiah 43:1 says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.”

None of us truly know where our road is headed. Life is very much like the open road, full of curves, cliffs, and detours. But Scripture says that your road isn’t random. God knows your name. He called you. He laid the path.

The Irish blessing says, “May the road rise up to meet you.” That’s not a wish for ease—it’s a prayer that wherever you go, the path will be made by the One who knows you best.

Jesus is the author of our faith story, and if you are here this morning, it’s because he is still writing out yours.

We’ve been working through the book of Hebrews lately, and while we have not got there yet, in Chapter 12 verses 1-3 we read this…

Hebrews 12:1–3 “1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.”

KJV… verse 2… Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

And faith was defined the chapter before as the substance of things we hope for…the evidence of things that we cannot see

Hebrews 11:1 “1 Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.”

Faith is putting feet to our trust, and everyone who rides a motorcycle knows what it is like to live in faith. To trust in the midst of uncertainty.

Illustration: Imagine riding down Deer Creek road for the first time, you don’t know what lies beyond the next curve and if your not careful it’s easy to be going to fast for the next curve or what lies in the road after you pass that first big curve, yet you trust the pavement continues even though you can’t see it. In life, those curves are health scares, job changes, broken relationships—but God says, “You are mine. Ride on—I’m leading. I am the one who is writing your faith story…as long as you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus.

King David in the Psalms writes it this way… Psalm 139:1–18

New Living Translation Psalm 139

1 O LORD, you have examined my heart

and know everything about me.

2 You know when I sit down or stand up.

You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.

3 You see me when I travel

and when I rest at home.

You know everything I do.

4 You know what I am going to say

even before I say it, LORD.

5 You go before me and follow me.

You place your hand of blessing on my head.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too great for me to understand!

7 I can never escape from your Spirit!

I can never get away from your presence!

8 If I go up to heaven, you are there;

if I go down to the grave, you are there.

9 If I ride the wings of the morning,

if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

10 even there your hand will guide me,

and your strength will support me.

11 I could ask the darkness to hide me

and the light around me to become night—

12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.

To you the night shines as bright as day.

Darkness and light are the same to you.

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body

and knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!

Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,

as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.

16 You saw me before I was born.

Every day of my life was recorded in your book.

Every moment was laid out

before a single day had passed.

17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.

They cannot be numbered!

18 I can’t even count them;

they outnumber the grains of sand!

And when I wake up,

you are still with me!

So, May the road rise up to meet you. May you know that as long as you are redeemed, you are called His. He has claimed you and he is writing out your faith story.

Point 2: May the Wind Be Always at Your Back — You Are Strengthened in the Storm

Isaiah 43:2 says,

New Living Translation Chapter 43

When you go through deep waters,

I will be with you.

When you go through rivers of difficulty,

you will not drown.

A couple of years ago right about this time I was embarking on a cross country drive from Pennsylvania to Spokane Washington. I had heard about headwind before but this was my first true experience of understanding what it means to drive into the wind. Gas mileage goes down, significantly. It takes more work to stay on the straight and narrow, especially if a cross wind comes all of the sudden.

The road of life isn’t always dry pavement and sunshine. Sometimes you ride into the wind—storms of grief, pain, doubt, loss. But God’s Word doesn’t say, “If” you go through storms. It says, “When.”

When you go through deep waters. When you hear the bad news. When your facing trials again and again…that’s when we need to be reminded that our God is with us. The Irish blessing asks for a tail wind…and those are refreshing times.

“May the wind be always at your back.” That’s the blessing. But when the wind turns against you, Isaiah reminds us—God is with you. He is your strength.

Illustration: On a bike, riding into the wind can be exhausting. It slows you down. You feel it push against your chest. Life is like that. But Isaiah reminds us—He rides with us. He gives strength for the storm.

And that brings to mind the song “Against the Wind” by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band. The lyrics reflect that tension:

"Against the wind… I'm still runnin' against the wind… I'm older now but still runnin' against the wind."

Many of us know that feeling—struggling to make progress, feeling resistance at every turn. But here’s the good news: we don’t run alone. God’s presence gives us strength to keep going, even when life pushes back hard

Jesus gives us strength for our faith journey. It is a narrow road and at times extremely difficult to continue to trust and place your faith in Him, but the reward is eternal. It is life and life to the full.

Because before Jesus left this world, he gave us the Promise.

John 14:15–18 “15 “If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you.”

John 15:26–16:8 “26 “But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me. 27 And you must also testify about me because you have been with me from the beginning of my ministry. 1 “I have told you these things so that you won’t abandon your faith. 2 For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God. 3 This is because they have never known the Father or me. 4 Yes, I’m telling you these things now, so that when they happen, you will remember my warning. I didn’t tell you earlier because I was going to be with you for a while longer. 5 “But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. 6 Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you. 7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will…”

If you are a follower of Christ, know that God’s Spirit is alive within you. And he is called the Advocate…the Comforter, the Counselor

2 Corinthians 12:9 – “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Point 3: May the Sun Shine Warm Upon Your Face — You Are Refreshed by His Grace

It sure was a long winter was it not? And it has been an even wetter spring! It seems like forever since we’ve seen the sun. But when the rain is falling constantly and the winters are long, a nice sunny and warm day feels so refreshing to our souls.

The Irish blessing continues…“May the sun shine warm upon your face.” This is the experience of God’s grace and joy breaking through after long shadows or seasons of cold and rain.

This blessing reminds us that the journey isn’t all hardship—there are moments of beauty, light, and renewal. God doesn’t just sustain us in the storms; He refreshes us with joy.

The other day, it was cold, but I wanted to get out on the bike and take it into Kylertown for a meeting. So I bundled up, hopped on and fired my bike up. And the ride was cold still…but something happened when I reached Kylertown and started to slow down. A cardinal started flying in front of me. It lasted maybe 3 seconds but it felt like minutes. I was probably 30 feet in front of me but it felt like I could reach out and touch it. It was one of those surreal moments that I just heard God’s voice say, I am here. I love you and I want to bless you with this moment between you and I.

Isaiah 43 reminds us that God is not only present in trial but present in peace. He gives rest, renewal, and warmth to weary travelers.

Going back to the passage in John 14:26 “26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. If you read just one more verse you will read this…

John 14:27 “27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”

Paul writes it this way in Philippians 4:4–8 “4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

Church, may you experience God’s peace. May you look for those little moments along the road of life where that feeling when a cold, cloudy ride gives way to sunshine. You can feel it on your shoulders and face—hope warming the soul. God gives us those moments too: unexpected laughter, answered prayer, beauty in creation. They remind us He is near.

Point 4: May God Hold You in the Palm of His Hand — You Are Protected by His Presence

Isaiah 43:2–3 continues, “ When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.… For I am the Lord your God.”

This is more than protection from physical danger. It’s the promise that whatever fire we walk through—trial, tragedy, even death—God holds us. His hand doesn’t let go. Even if you have to go through a literal fire, believe me…God is there. His presence is palpable…its tangible.

The Irish blessing ends with…

“And may God hold you in the palm of His hand.” That’s not a metaphor. That’s a promise. You are held. You are His.

Illustration: Picture a father walking with his child through a busy parking lot. The child may stumble, may loosen their grip—but the father never lets go. God says, “You are mine.”

Scripture Support: John 10:28–29 – “No one will snatch them out of my hand… no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.

Conclusion: The Blessing is the Promise

Let me speak the Irish blessing over you once more—this time, hear it as God’s echo through Isaiah:

“May the road rise up to meet you…” Because God walks before you. “May the wind be always at your back…” And when it’s not, may He carry you through. “May the sun shine warm upon your face…” And when it doesn’t, may His light still guide you. “And may God hold you in the palm of His hand.” Always. Because He says: “You are mine.”

But don’t miss the key that unlocks all these promises. Go back to verse 1: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you.” These promises are not generic—they are for the redeemed. For those who have been bought back, who have been claimed by the grace of God through Jesus Christ.

How do we know we are redeemed? Not because of our good works, not because of our religious habits, but because of the finished work of Christ on the cross. Jesus gave His life to pay the debt of our sin, and He rose again to offer us new life. When we trust in Him, we are redeemed. We are called by name. We are His.

And while that doesn’t mean the road will always be smooth, it does mean that you never ride alone. The Redeemer walks with you, rides with you, leads you.

So today, if you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior, if you’ve never said yes to being redeemed—don’t leave without knowing you are His. Because all the blessings, all the promises of Isaiah 43 begin there.

Let’s ride blessed. Let’s ride redeemed.

Invite the church to join me in the parking lot as we bless the motorcycles and bicycles.