I Am With You

Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV)
10  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.'

There are two commands in this verse we all need to heed. Fear not. Be not dismayed. Let's dive a little deeper.

Fear not. That means do not be frightened, terrified or afraid. What are you afraid of? Snakes? Rats? Ghosts? Spiders? Many have a phobia of something. We also have fears about the future. Nuclear war. Race riots. Economic collapse. Another school or church shooting. Cancer.

If we do not keep our fears in check they can dominate our faith. You will notice the command is clear. Fear not. Meaning not at all. Not even a little bit. We are not to give into fear even though we face fearful situations. When prayer requests were taken last night at our Bible study they were so disheartening I could feel faith ebbing from the room. I tried to pray for each one as they were mentioned. Many tragic. Choice. Choose faith or choose fear?

God's word is filled with passages telling us not to fear. We are prone to fear. To dwell on the worst case scenarios. To give into fear. That is the natural reaction. We are called as followers of Jesus to a supernatural trust even in fearful situations.

The second command. Be not dismayed. That means not to look around at our circumstances bewildered and want to turn and run away. We all face adversity. I saw it all over the face of the car hop at Sonic recently. I saw it in the eyes of people at Bible study last night. We are commanded not to be dismayed but to have hope. To face our challenges in faith and prayer. To stand courageously in the midst of challenges undaunted because of the One who promises to stand with us.

But why? Why are we not to fear or be dismayed? We face challenges that are beyond our abilities to fix or resources to overcome.

Here is the good news. God lists several promises. Read them. "I am with you." Let that truth sink into our minds and souls and sink into our current circumstances. If we are a followers of Jesus He is with us today, right now, wherever we are and whatever we're going through. That means He is at hand. He is readily available to us. We do not have to go searching for Him. We do not have to summon Him from afar. He is right there with you and me. That ought to be enough to comfort and encourage.

What does He bring when He is with us? He provides us strength to get through the tough stuff. On the days when we think we cannot not possibly endure a second more of suffering He strengthens us to keep going. When the pain feels so unbearable He strengthens to grit through it.

He helps. That means He delivers, rescues and saves. You may say, "Wait a minute. Hold your horses. He didn't help Momma, Daddy, my husband, wife or child. They died. He did not deliver, rescue or save them." I completely understand what you are saying. I also have my lists of complaints and confusing matters where it appeared God did not help.

My mother died at 54. On Mother's Day weekend of all weekends back in 1998. Taylor was two. Tanner was only three months. She never even met Tucker or Turner. Heart disease took her life. Or did it? It only took her earthly life. Jesus saved my Momma. He rescued her from her sins and her sick body. SHE IS MORE ALIVE TODAY THAN SHE HAS EVER BEEN! HALLELUJAH. I will see her again. So did God help my momma? Yes.

God does help. We just don't always recognize His divine aid. It saddens me that millions never turn to Him for help in matters of salvation. They will perish into eternal torture. God offered help through  His Son Jesus and millions refuse that help to their eternal detriment.

Now for those who have been saved through faith in Jesus and His work on the cross read closely. Not only is God with you. Not only does He strengthen you and help you. He also holds you up with His righteous right hand. He props you up. He supports you in the daily grind we call life. He keeps you from falling. He sustains you each step of the journey until you finally get home.

I saw a moving video of a bride upholding her new husband. He is normally in a wheelchair. He could barely take a step. She supported him because he resolved to walk down the aisle with her. Each step deliberate, laborious, exhausting and slow. She stood by his side in her white dress to help him each step of the way. What she did for her husband for only a few steps God does for each of His children all their days to the very end.

There is a lot of truth contained in that statement, "I am with you." I hope you will take this truth to heart and rely on Him to get you through.