Isaiah 41:10

New International Version (NIV)

So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

For meditation

Recent events worldwide and around us have struck fear in many hearts. Every day brings unavoidable terrifying news, causing anxiety and sleepless nights in many comfortable beds. Why should it be so when you have done everything possible to achieve excellence and have made a life for yourself and family? How come what you dreaded and strove to avoid over the years has come upon you?

The week has opened with the fear you thought you had put behind you last Friday before leaving for the weekend. So, why is this plethora of disheartening news welcoming you back to the office? The hushed comments have made you afraid and overwhelmed with uncertainty. You are at a loss. Who can you turn to when most people share your paranoia? You need some assurances to restore serenity like a child thrown into sudden darkness.

The best voice for that child is that of Mommy dearest assuring of her presence, “Don’t worry, sweetheart. Mommy is here.” See the face of the child light up in the darkness. It is the warmest assurance the child might ever receive from the mother’s embrace. What expelled the fear so fast, driving it away from the room? Love! The love of a mother dispels every fear from a child when the night threatens gloom and nightmares.

For you, my anxious friend. The assurance of the love of God is your best remedy for fear. It dispels every threatening gloom and terrors. Zephaniah 3:17 tells us that God will quiet us by His love. That is deep, friend! Understanding the love of God neutralizes fear as quickly as it enters your heart, because His love delivers the full potency of His grace through Christ Jesus. So, hear the Lord telling you this morning:

Do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10).

How does that sound to you?

Now, step back into the beauty of verse 9, and you will know the depth of the assurance God is offering you in that darkroom today:

I took you from the ends of the earth,
    from its farthest corners I called you.
I said, ‘You are my servant’;
    I have chosen you and have not rejected you (9).

This verse is the basis of your assurance—your relationship with God through Christ Jesus. He chose you in Christ and called you through Him from the farthest corner of the earth. You are His own, and He has not rejected you (Hebrew 13:5b-6). So, when God tells you not to fear anything that threatens your peace (Isaiah 41:10), you can believe Him.

He is Elohim—The Strong and Faithful One—Omnipotent, Sovereign, and the only One with inherent power to create and sustain, to covenant, and to maintain it. How can you fear when He tells you not to be dismayed because He is your God?

Tell me now. Where will that terrorizing fear go when your faith apprehends this truth?

Shalom

Pray with Me

Father, help us call on the name of Jesus when fear assails us. May we feel the warmth of your love and the sustaining power of your grace in our anxious moments and experience how fast fear dissipates. Thank you for the infallible relief you have brought me and may my confidence in your exalted name increase each time in your powerful Presence.

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