“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10
Oh, the Word of God! There is so much to be found if we take the time to discover what the Lord wishes to reveal. There is so much strength in His words. There is so much comfort, there is so much challenge!
Wherever you are right now on your journey with the Lord, there is always more. He is the God of layered revelation. He is the God who brings us into His yesterday, today, and forever. What does that mean? The same statements He was making to the people of Israel while in exile is the same thing He is saying to us today, and is the same thing He will be saying to our future generations. God calls forth and guides the destinies of generations. He prepares a way. He maintains faithfulness. Despite us, He remains faithful. What is like the grace of God bestowed upon us by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ? Nothing, saints. Nothing is like the grace of God. If you have never wept at the reality of His grace on your life, I encourage you to ponder its reality until you do.
Isaiah 41:10 is a well-known verse in regard to God eliminating fear by His Presence. There is strength and confidence in His words. The Lord is stating this to the tribes of Israel as the people groups and tribes around them continue to bow and worship handmade idols. There was absolute chaos all around them. The Lord is staling that even in their exile, He is still with them.
In this translation, there is something that I had not seen before. It says, ‘I will strengthen you and harden you to difficulties...’. Saints, in the strengthening is also the aspect of increasing tolerance. He increases our ability to handle the difficulties. In other words, He toughens our skin, He elongates our fuse, He solidifies our foreheads like flint.
Again, these were not light times that the Israelites were facing, ‘do not look around you in terror and be dismayed.’ And in this environment, the Lord says, ‘Do not fear.’ Do not fear! It isn’t just a statement! It is a reality. And in His Presence there is strength and perspective. Rest in Him. There is no greater place to grow your faith than in proximity to Jesus. He is our mighty warrior. He is our strong tower. Believe the Word of God! It establishes truth about our identity and brings to reality the identity of the One, ‘True, Living God.
You are stronger than you think! You can handle more than you think you can handle. Not by your own strength, but by His workings in and through you. You are never alone. Your God stands with you in the trials. He prepares your heart and mind to be able to stand. Take heart, saints! The right hand of God maintains you. There is victory ahead!
