Fear Not, For God is With You and Me

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God: I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

I have not written in a long time. To be transparent, I have simply found it hard to be a voice of encouragement when I feel only discouragement. Maybe you too feel a bit overwhelmed.
Just watch the news feed for a few moments to see a world in turmoil and hopelessness. Images of murders, suicides, school shootings, rape, child abuse, war and natural disasters weigh heavy emotionally and mentally. That’s just what is going on around you, what about the stuff in your home, workplace, relationships or your personal health. Where do you find a sliver of hope in that?

I have spent a lot of time asking Jesus just that lately.

Where do we find the strength and endurance to walk forward during these difficult times? The answer is simple, Jesus. Though it is a simple answer and one that should not elude even the newest Christian, it still at times is hard to grasp.
Isaiah 41:10 begins with a command, fear not. Fear is the opposite of faith. When we are told to fear not, it is important to take God seriously. Fear, worry, and anxiety are often gateways to sin. It leads to unbelief and the loss of faith. Within the same sentence God also offers a promise. Fear not, for I am with you. How much more we are subject to fear and feelings of discouragement than when we are alone. We fear not and have faith because He has told us, I am with you.
Be not dismayed, for I am your God. When I read this, it was almost as if God is saying, Hey, I’m your God the God of all power and glory. It is a reminder that God is all powerful. I think we get so overwhelmed with everything going on around us that we forget the greatness of God and when we lose sight of that we become dismayed.
I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. God can help us because of his power but it is his love for us that says I will help you. And he will because he said it and it’s a promise.
After spending time in the word and really looking at these promises, I see the terrible nature of my fear and unbelief. In essence I am saying to God, you aren’t with me, you are not the God of glory and strength, and you don’t really love me. Nothing is further from the truth. God is all powerful, he is my strength, and my rock. Don’t be like me and allow yourself to be blinded by everything in the news, by the way other people treat you by what seems so hopeless. We are not helpless, hopeless or forgotten but rather as he told us in the book of Isaiah, that he is with us, he is strengthening us and he loves us very much.

Fear not, for God is with you and me.
Typist for Jesus