^“ Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I AM your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice.” (Isaiah 41:10, AMPC)

Review of Parts One and Two: In Part One we talked about diligent Bible study and meditation and the historical context of Isaiah. We surveyed Isaiah 40 and 41, which show what happened to Israel when they were taken captive by the enemy of our souls, led to idol worship and, because of that, were taken into exile. They were taken out of the location where God’s promises were fulfilled. They were taken out of Jerusalem, the focal point of the land God had put them in and sustained them in when they obeyed and served Him. We highlighted the main threads of thoughts in Isaiah 40 and 41, setting the stage for a deeper look at Isaiah 41:10, which is one of God’s sure cures for loneliness and fear.

In Part Two, we saw that God understands fear and He has a sure cure for loneliness and fear, no matter the circumstances because God is Creator and King over all that is, ever has been, and ever will be. Keeping our mind on Him and recalling Who He is and what He is like brings peace. This works even though we are surely living in the terrible times described in 2 Timothy 3:1-9. Now, more than ever in our lifetimes, people are

“lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.” (NIV)

How to live in the present darkness of our world. Paul’s next words tell Timothy how he is to live in this kind of climate, which is to continue in Paul’s teaching and study the Word. Why? Because “All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16, NIV). That last phrase “so that servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” reflects the message in Psalm 1. Psalm 1 promises blessings if we do not live like the evil and wicked ones around us but rather live righteously and keep our minds on and follow the Word.

 Another passage with the same idea is Psalm 37, which says do not fret about the wicked things and people around us. Rather, God says we to “Trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) in the Lord and do good; so shall you dwell in the land and feed surely on His faithfulness, and truly you shall be fed (Psalm 37:3, AMPC).  Notice: God says if we whole-heartedly trust God and do good we will live in the land and feed on His faithfulness. God says “truly you shall be fed.”  Pondering all of Psalm 37 is a great weapon to use against fear and panic that desperate situations can bring, situations like the current condition of our nation.

The second half of Isaiah 41:10. Recall the context of Isaiah 41 and recall that in Isaiah 41:10 God tells His exiled people: “Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties; Yes, I will help you; Yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice.” (AMPC).

Look at the promises God gives in Part B.

• I will strengthen you and harden you to difficulties;
• Yes, I will help you;
• Yes, I will hold you up
• And retain you
• With My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice.

Let’s consider each of these promises.

“I will strengthen you and harden you to difficulties.” The Word abounds with promises of God’s strength for His obedient children. One of the most often-quoted verses is Isaiah 40:31, which is in the same context as 41:10.

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (NIV)

Notice the condition in Part A of this verse which we must meet if we want the promises in Part B – we must hope in the Lord.

“But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.” (AMPC)

Think of times in Scripture when the enemy attacks the hope of God’s people, times when there seems no way out and Satan tempts them to give up, or as Job’s wife put it “Curse God and die.” (Job 2:9, NIV). Think of Israel at the Red Sea, Elijah after Jezebel threatens his life, Jonah after his shading vine withered, Nehemiah who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem and Ezra who restored worship. All faced direct attacks on their hope. And the enemy uses the same attack today. We must know the Word and use it, for in the Word we have God’s promises of help and deliverance and a multitude of stories of deliverance in the face of impossible odds.

We can have God’s strength IF we believe in Him, adhere to Him, trust and rely on Him. We must exercise our faith as did our spiritual ancestor Abraham “[For Abraham, human reason for] hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations, as he has been promised, So [numberless] shall your descendants be.” (Romans 4:18, AMPC)

Study and meditate on verses about strength. Ponder—and believe–Deuteronomy 33:15 where God promises “As the days, so shall your strength be” (NKJV)

 “. . . and harden you to difficulties.” The hardening in the second half of this phrase is a good thing because God is saying He will change us so that we can endure hardships with grace and peace. As we obey Him and seek to grow, He will help us become more like Paul so that, we too, can say: “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed.”  (2 Corinthians 4:8-9, NIV.) God will equip us to not lose heart so that we, as did Paul, will know

“. . . though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly, we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16b-18, NIV)

Arming ourselves with the right attitude toward troubles. The right attitude, like Paul had, is armor for our mind. Consider First Peter 4:1:

So, since Christ suffered in the flesh for us, for you, arm yourselves with the same thought and purpose [patiently to suffer rather than fail to please God]. For whoever has suffered in the flesh [having the mind of Christ] is done with [intentional] sin [has stopped pleasing himself and the world, and pleases God]. (AMPC)

Getting that right attitude. How do we get this attitude, so that we have the same mind, or attitude, that was in Christ and which Paul had acquired? Paul tells us in Philippians 2:1-13. Pause and prayerfully consider that passage now.

In Philippians 2, Paul says we are to make God glad by considering others (not just ourselves) and by imitating the humility of Christ. Just as Christ humbled Himself and carried his obedience to the extreme, so are we to carry our obedience to God to the extreme, with whole-hearted fervor, holding nothing back.  Part of that is completing our salvation, working it out, realizing that it is God who is working in us and that He will give us His strength.

 For it is [not your strength] but it is God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13, AMPC)

<<When we are exiled, for any reason, we are to keep on obeying and serving God—to the extreme—and we are to press on to even more maturity right in the midst of hard circumstances.>>

Mediate on these passages about the process of maturity and the right attitude toward trials: James 1:1-16, 2 Peter 1:5-10, Romans 5:1-5. As you do so, keep in mind that God promises He will ‘harden us to difficulties.” Does God ever, ever, ever lie? Does God ever, ever, ever have favorites? That means God will change you so that you can bear up under trials.

“Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whom You discipline and instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law, that You may give him power to keep himself calm in the days of adversity, until the [inevitable] pit of corruption is dug for the wicked. (Psalm 94:12-13, AMPC)

“Yes, I will help you.” Recall again that Isaiah 40 thru 56 are promises of divine deliverance for Israel. Reread Isaiah 40, where God tenderly comforts His people, reassuring them of His omnipotence and pleading with them to remember what they have been told: that if they wait, expect, look for and hope in Him, He will give them strength, like an eagle’s. He will help them. And consider Isaiah 41. God repeats “I will help you” three times (verses 10, 13 and 14) and the entire chapter gives details of how He will help them.

Think about what help means. To help is “to give assistance or support to (someone): to provide someone with something that is useful or necessary to achieving an end”. Also, “to make more pleasant or bearable”, to improve or relieve. Also “to change for the better” and “to keep from recurring.” (Webster’s 1828 online dictionary).

Help is one of the things God promised when He commissioned Joshua to lead Israel into the Promised Land. (See Joshua 1:1-9) God told Joshua the Promised Land was already his, that no one would be able to stand against him, that God would be with him as He was with Moses, but Joshua was to be strong and very courageous, he was to do all that God had commanded through Moses and he was to meditate on the Word day and night. God ends His charge to Joshua by saying, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified or dismayed (intimidated), for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (AMPC). Notice why God told Joshua not to be afraid—because God promised He would be with Joshua – everywhere he went!

The writer of Hebrews 13:5 (believed to be Paul) refers to this same promise of never-failing Divine help. Paul says we must learn to be content with what we have because God has promised help. Listen to how detailed God is about the help He promises:

For He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake you nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! Assuredly not!” (Hebrews 13:5b, AMPC)

That means that in every situation, in every aspect of every situation, God will support, help, and be with us. Know that, hold that in your heart, and keep standing in faith. With that verse in mind, we can do like Paul says in verse 6. “So, we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper, I will not be seized with alarm. [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me? “

 One final thought about the phrase “Yes, I will help you.” Can you hear that God is aware of our doubt? Imagine a father, who, having told his seven-year old daughter she can stay up late responds to her quizzical expression with “Yes, you can stay up late.”  God is telling us, YES, I will help you. He will make your life more pleasant and bearable. He will help you, yes you!

“Yes, I will hold you up and retain you. . . ”  Notice that God uses the same sentence structure for this next phrase. He wants to convince us that He will hold us up and that He will retain us which means to “keep something in place.” The phrase “to hold up” implies that the one being held is about to fall. God says of the righteous that “Though he falls, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord grasps his hand in support and upholds him.” (Psalm 37:24).  Can you see a baby learning to walk, holding on to his parent’s hand? Does that parent ever let go and let that baby fall to the ground?

In Psalm 139, David tells God he knows that God is with him always and understands his every thought. In verse 9 David says to God: “If I rise on the wings of dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” (NIV) In speaking of a time when his feet had almost slipped, another psalmist—Asaph—said that even when he was embittered, senseless and arrogant “Nevertheless I am continually with You; You do hold my right hand.”

Even when we lack strength to go on, when we cannot find our right attitude, God still holds us.  “He tends His flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart.’ (Isaiah 40:11, NIV). His promise to carry us is forever. God says “Even to your old age I am He, and even to hair white with age will I carry you. I have made, and I will bear; yes, I will carry and will save you.” (Isaiah 46:4, AMPC).  And how will this wonderful One help and hold us up and retain us? With His righteousness.

 “with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice.” (AMPC) The KJV says “with the right hand of My righteousness.” Righteous means “acting in accord with divine or moral law: free from guilt or sin” (Webster’s 1828 online dictionary). In proclaiming the name, or explaining the nature of God, Moses says ‘He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God Who does no wrong, upright and just is He.” (Deuteronomy 32:4, NIV) And what is justice? Justice means “being what is merited” or “deserved”. In a word, justice mean fairness. Although God is exceedingly merciful (Psalm 145:8) He is also just and fair, which means we get what we deserve.

Consider these verses.

• Romans 2:7-8: “To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, He will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. (NIV)
• I Peter 4:7-8 “For the time [has arrived] for judgement to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will [be] the end of those who do not respect or believe or obey the good news (the Gospel) of God? And if the righteous are barely saved, what will become of the godless and the wicked?” (AMPC)

The Word is filled with promises that those in right-standing with God will be rewarded according to their deeds—with eternal life and eternal blessings beyond what we can imagine now and after this earthly life. The Word is also filled with promises that the wicked will be judged according to their deeds, here on earth and for all eternity. “If the righteous receive their due on earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner!” (Proverbs 11:31, NIV).

Stand strong in your faith! God will judge the evil and wicked people who are now freely strutting about because “what is vile is honored by the human race.” (Psalm 12:7, NIV). Do not listen to the enemy’s whispers that things will continue to get worse. God is already judging the wicked and exposing what they have been doing. But you will not hear about that if you listen to mainstream media. Start listening to Victory News and Flashpoint, read the praying citizen and the Mario Murillo blogs. Check out the “What is God doing?” page on this website for more resources and use them!

If you are not already, get in the fight! Do not let the enemy lie to you that your prayers for our nation and our world do not matter! They do! Get informed and do something! Write or email your government representatives, speak the truth of what is happening to those you know, ask God what else you can do, and pray, pray, pray with faith! The greatest awakening in human history is starting to unfold, and we must stand strong and take our place in the battle.

“Let not your heart be troubled! (John 14:1) Do not get discouraged when, besides the things we see in the world, you have personal trials! Dust yourself off, encourage yourself in the Lord like David consistently did and get back in the fight! We win because the battle is the Lord’s and God NEVER, NO NEVER, NO NEVER FAILS!!  Do not neglect this privilege of joining with the heavenly hosts and God Himself to fight against evil. Gird up your loins, take up your weapons, strengthen your weak arms and knees, and after you have done everything – keep standing. Sound the alarm on God’s holy mountain and say with me, “Let God arise and His enemies be scattered! (Psalm 68:1)

The God Whose we are and Whom we serve is the same God who threw the horse and rider into the sea, closed the mouth of lions, kept His children through the fire, opened prison doors, and turned the world upside down with a handful of people filled with holy fire. This is our God!

This is the One whom the devil once defied and mocked through Goliath. And what did God’s servant David say to Goliath?

(45) “You are coming to fight against me with a sword, a spear and a javelin. But I’m coming against you in the name of the Lord Who rules over all. He is the God of the armies of Israel. He’s the one you have dared to fight against.

(46) This day the Lord will give me the victory over you. I’ll strike you down. I’ll cut your head off. This day I’ll feed the bodies of the Philistine army to the birds and wild animals. Then the whole world will know there is a God in Israel.

(47) The Lord doesn’t rescue people by using a sword or a spear. And everyone here will know it. The battle belongs to the Lord. He will hand all of you over to us.” (I Samuel 17:45-47, NIV) (emphasis added)

And God did exactly that through a young, unknown, outwardly unimpressive shepherd. Many today have listened to the taunts of Satan and have backed down and stopped fighting. Let us not be among those who shrink back and displease God (Hebrews 10:38). Rather, as we fight, let us take courage and let our hearts be stout and enduring!

“Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14, NIV)

Listen! Do you hear the shofar? Join the fight and keep fighting! God is with you and He will help you. Yes, He will help you! He will never, no never, no never forsake you, or leave you without help – never, no never, no never! Most assuredly not!

When the Israelites rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem faced great opposition from their enemies, Nehemiah told them:

Do not be afraid of the enemy; [earnestly] remember the Lord and imprint Him [on your minds], great and terrible, and [take from Him courage to] fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”  (Nehemiah 4:14, AMPC) (Emphasis added)

Do whatever it takes to get this truth imprinted on your mind and engraved in your heart:

God HIMSELF is with you, and because of that – there is NOTHING to fear!

^“ Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I AM your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice.” (Isaiah 41:10, AMPC)

 

 

 

“You gave my love, when nobody gave me a prayer.” I leaned over, put my hands on my knees and breathed. Sweat ran into my eyes as I straightened and walked, slowly, hands on hips, cooling down. Running in early evening dusk was better than late afternoon’s blazing heat when I usually came to the park after picking up Sharon. Tonight, she was with her father. After a few stretches, I got in the car and drove down Himes then Hillsborough Avenue, toward Parkview Apartments, fighting back tears.

Having taken up serious running two years earlier, I was familiar with emotions being stirred up after a hard run, but that night opened a geyser. Extreme shyness and the need to work long hours and take work home on nights and weekends since the divorce had created isolation from any but shallow work relationships. One close friendship—that I had thought would be so much more than mere friendship—had vanished when Joseph, whom I’d dated, finally admitted he was still in love with his ex-wife. The buried pain of that loss, now a month old, burned fiercely.

I glared into the darkness above the yellow arc of headlights, silently asking “Why, why, why? Will I always be alone? Will it always hurt this bad?” Then I heard it, the song and the words that God used to draw me to Himself.

“You gave me laughter, after I cried all my tears.
You heard my dreams while the rest of the world closed it’s ears.
I looked in Your eyes, and I saw the tenderness there.
You gave me love, when nobody gave me a prayer.”

 God used the lyrics and melody of “You Gave Me Love” (written by Claire Cloninger and Archie P. Jordan) and the rich, masculine quality of B. J. Thomas’s voice to open a secret place in my heart that He has occupied ever since. Searching for the source of the Love I heard in that song led me to a Christian bookstore and, eventually, giving my heart to this One Who gave His life for me and gave me His love to me while I was yet a sinner (Romans 5:8). Listen and let God touch your heart, as He did mine, 41 years ago. . . 41 years in which He has never once failed my in any way.

BJ Thomas – You gave me love – Bing video

The comfort of His presence. Before I began obeying God and living for Him, I was desperately lonely, fearful, and unhappy. However, the intimacy of His presence I felt that night—though I was lost—steadily grew.

In seasons of trial, my awareness of His presence often flickered but the One who is our Living Hope steadily pushed darkness away as I kept loving Him and turning to Him. The blazing light of His peace and His joy now garrison my heart from within. I can only gratefully say with the psalmist:

“Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of Your presence, LORD. They rejoice in Your name all day long; they celebrate Your righteousness. For You are their glory and strength.“ (Psalm 89:15-17a, NIV)   

Review of Part One: In Part One we talked about the blessings of diligent Bible study and meditation and saw the historical context of Isaiah and an overview of Chapters 40 and 41. These chapters show what happened to Israel when they were taken captive by the enemy of our souls, sinned greatly through idol worship—depending on and honoring things rather than God—and were taken into exile. We surveyed the main threads of thoughts in Isaiah 40 and 41, setting the stage for a deeper look at Isaiah 41:10, one of God’s sure cures for loneliness and fear and for living in victory through the great trial the whole world is currently enduring.

Part Two Outline. Here is what we will cover in Part Two.

• God’s sure cure for fear and loneliness
• Why fear and loneliness hurt
• The power of presence
• Isaiah 41:10 Ample provision for fear and loneliness
• “Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you;
• “. . . do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I AM your God.”
• Being Kingdom-minded
• Remembering the nature of our great God.

God’s sure cure for fear and loneliness. Isaiah 41:10 is one of God’s many healing balms for fear and one of the verses I meditate upon often. I cling to the truths in this verse whenever the enemy tries to cause fear or loneliness. Isaiah 41:10 teaches us how and why we can trust this One, this Sweet and beautiful One who gives us His very own love and laughter, this One Who hears our dreams and wants us—wonder of wonders—to look into His eyes and see the tenderness there. This great and loving One does not want us in loneliness or fear.

Loneliness and fear, two painful human conditions, come to each of us. For some, it is a long-standing condition, whereas for others it is a blessedly brief state of heart and mind. Loneliness and fear happen to singles and marrieds, young and old, rich and poor, in every nation on earth. www.freedictonary.com defines lonely as “unhappy as a result or being without the companionship of others.” God created people for companionship—with Himself and with each other. We can all enjoy times of being alone but no one enjoys loneliness, that sadness that comes from feeling we are alone when we do not want to be.

Of all the feelings that accompany loneliness, the most dangerous is likely fear. I believe that loneliness is actually a kind of fear. Loneliness comes when I am aware that my God-given need for companionship is not met. Awareness of that unmet need can bring fear—because loneliness hurts and, alone, I might fear I cannot stop the pain. In that moment, I feel it will last forever. In the moment, I feel hurt, I am afraid, my need is not met now, and I am afraid it will not be met tomorrow.

Why fear and loneliness hurt. Loneliness—feeling unhappy when alone-comes often to those of us who struggle with intimacy but also to those of us for whom intimacy comes easily. We all need someone to talk with about the normal ups and downs of daily life and especially when problems come. We need the emotional support of talking with someone who cares, someone on whom we can occasionally lean and someone who will help carry our burdens. We also want practical support and help with the activities of daily life, help to buy groceries, cook, take care of the car, pay the bills, and make decisions. Most of all we all need love. We need to know someone loves us and accepts us just as we are. With that kind of love, we can face daily troubles as well as big ones. And we need that when we need it, which is not always convenient for those upon whom we depend.

The power of presence. Why does the presence of someone who loves us stop fear? Because, in their presence, we perceive their care and concern. We stop feeling alone. We know we will be helped. Why? Because that particular person has helped us before. Crying infants cannot, of course, say they are afraid and they cannot say they need their parent. They do not have to. Even before a feeding or diaper change, the mere presence of the parent and being held calm the infant at a visceral, instinctive level.

God gives newborn living things the instinct to cry out. That instinct helps keep the mewling kitten, the bawling calf, the whining puppy and the crying human infant alive because it draws the parent close. Science has “discovered” what mothers have known for centuries—that hearing their baby cry moves them powerfully to respond.  In one study MRIs documented that with moms and five-month-olds from eleven countries, “each mom, when hearing her baby cry, had virtually the same brain activity which spurred her to move, speak and respond to the child”. How a Crying Baby Affects a Mother’s Brain | Neuroscience (labroots.com)

I believe that, in some way, this reflects what happens when we cry out —in earnestness and innocence—to God. Our cry moves Him and He always, always, always responds to His children. God knows that being aware of His presence will calm His child. God wants us to understand and trust His great love for us. Although His love is unsearchable, in many Bible passages God clearly explains those facets of His love that we humans can understand.

For example, in Isaiah 49, when God is talking about how He will restore Israel, which can be understood to symbolize the believer, He asks:

“Can a nursing mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you. See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands; your walls are ever before Me.” Isaiah 49:15-56, AMPC)

Ponder this. Do you hear God telling you that your needs move Him even more powerfully than her crying baby moves a nursing mother? A nursing mother and her infant have a physical as well as an emotional connection, a mutual need. The infant’s cry stimulates the flow of the mother’s milk, and the mother needs her baby to take that which her body has prepared.

God wants you to know: He is with you and He will meet your needs. He is compassionate—He feels with you, He feels what you feel. Your needs move Him. Everything you need is in Him, and He longs to meet your needs, to love you, and to shower upon you mercy and loving-kindness. Pause now and ponder Isaiah 30:18.

Isaiah 41:10 – Ample provision for fear and loneliness. Whenever we are afraid, no matter the cause, we all need the peace that comes from being aware “I AM THAT I AM” is with us, from knowing that the One who has taken care of our every need and loved us is with us. When we are aware of His presence, THEN, we do not feel alone and we feel safe. God hears the cry of our heart every time we feel afraid or alone. He knows when we need peace. He knows that if we are aware of His presence we will feel safe.

“As a father loves and pities his children, so the Lord loves and pities those who fear Him [with reverence, worship, and awe]. For He knows our frame, He [earnestly] remembers and imprints [on His heart] that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:13-14, AMPC)

He knows how susceptible all humans are to fear. It has been said that God speaks about fear 365 times in the Bible.

Let’s examine Isaiah 41:10, one of His many powerful antidotes for fear and loneliness that never, no never, no never fails. (Hebrews 13:5). Remember that this verse is set in the context of Isaiah 40 and 41 where God speaks to His beloved people who have been taken captive and separated—because of individual sin or the sin of those around them–from living in the peaceful place with God where promises are fulfilled. Can you hear His father heart?

Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I AM your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice. (Isaiah 41:10, AMPC)

“Fear not [there is nothing to fear], . . .” When we are consciously focused on the fact that God Himself is with us—the One who created all that exists and Who sustains all life, Who loves each of us individually—we grow calm. Why? Because when (we are aware that) He is with us there truly is nothing to fear. When we look at him—rather than at things causing fear—our hearts are flooded with the light that comes from perceiving truth—that is, the light that comes from perceiving that God Himself is actually right with us. Our emotions reflect what our mind is focused upon, whether that is the light of truth or the darkness of lies. Not only that, but God Himself is in us and is working in us. (I John 4:15-16, Philippians 2;13).

When a loving parent hugs a small child, fear stops because the child is viscerally aware that the one who has taken care of its every need is touchably there. That child’s world becomes safe because the parent IS that child’s world.

“. . . for I am with you.” When fear attacks—and Satan is seeking constantly to use this weapon today—I recall verses I have meditated upon and memorized that reassure me God is right here with me and watching over me. Over and over I repeat, for example, 2 Chronicles 15:2 “The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him [inquiring for and of Him, craving Him as your soul’s first necessity], He will be found by you.” (AMPC). As I repeat a verse, God often highlights one phrase and I talk about it with Him. “Lord, I am definitely trying my utmost to be with You and I am seeking You because my soul needs You above anything else! So, Father, I know You are here with me though I cannot see Your face or touch Your hand. You say You are here because I am doing my best to be with You and I believe You! You are with me”

“. . . do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I AM your God.” Notice the word LOOK.  There is incalculable value in keeping our eyes and minds focused on God and “things above.” (Colossians 3:1-2)

We must look to the Lord. When our mind is turned away from God, looking at earthly things, we see darkness. But when we look to God, when we turn our face to Him, the light of His love and awareness of His presence enlighten the eyes of our heart. When the light that comes from Him and that IS Him penetrates the eyes of our understanding (Ephesians 1:18), we take a bit of God Himself into our heart.

Think about it. When a parent embraces an infant, the infant receives a bit of the parent’s warmth which is actually a bit of the parent’s very physical being. There is an exchange of a part of life itself. I believe that, in perceiving God, in being conscious of His loving presence, our spirit receives a fresh bit of God’s very own Spirit.  In seeing Him, in perceiving Him, in being aware of His presence, we have all that He is – light, love, peace, joy, salvation, and all good and perfect things.

God is always with us, but we cannot perceive His presence so long as we turn our face away from Him. For half of each day, earth turns her face away from the light of the sun and, for that time, earth’s face is in darkness. As soon as earth turns toward the sun again, the life-giving light of the sun starts changing that darkness to light. The sun gives some of its very own warmth and light to earth.

In the light, or accurate perception, that comes from focusing on Him, we can say with the psalmist:

I sought the Lord and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; He saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them. (Psalm 34:4-7, NIV)

Kingdom-mindedness. The more we have our minds on God and His Kingdom, the more good we do here on earth. Kingdom-mindedness increases our ability to do earthly good. Kingdom-mindedness also multiples our peace.

If I focus on circumstances, I soon experience overwhelming fear and terror. An entire morning fretting and calculating where to cut expenses because of inflation, without God in mind, leads to terror. Terror is “a state of overwhelming fear” and to overwhelm is “To cover over completely” or “to overcome by superior force or numbers.” (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary) Focusing on circumstances around me allows fear to increase and cover my soul with darkness.

So, I can fret about things and do myself great harm or I can prayerfully plan the budget, pay bills and then get on with Kingdom business, with living my life for God right where I am. Psalm 37 tells us what our attitude must be when evil seems to be succeeding. I am to “Trust in the Lord and do good” (37:3a) As (in proportion to or to the extent that) I trust and do good, the Word promises I will ‘dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.” (37:b)

Keeping my eyes on Jesus, rather than troubles of this life, brings good cheer. I can take courage and be ”confident, certain, undaunted” as Jesus told us to be in John 16:33 BECAUSE Jesus has “overcome the world and deprived it of power to harm” us.

This is what Jesus says of those who believe in and trust in and rely on Him, who hear Him and listen to His voice, and who follow Him. Jesus says “I give them eternal life, and they shall never lose it or perish throughout the ages. [To all eternity they shall never by any means be destroyed.] And no one is able to snatch them out of My hand. My Father, Who has given them to Me, is greater and mightier than all [else]; and no one is able to snatch [them] out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:28-30, AMPC)

Remembering the nature of our great God. In distressing circumstances, I do well to remember how powerful my Father is. This is what God reminded Israel of in Isaiah 40 and 41 when He explained His power. This unfathomable power is part of our God but His justice and equally immeasurable mercy and loving-kindness are also part of Who He is, as He revealed to Moses in Exodus 34:5-8.

“. . . and the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of the Lord. . . The Lord! The Lord! a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving-kindness and truth, keeping mercy and loving-kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but Who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.”

People who honor and work for anything or anyone but the One True God, are rightly filled with terror in hard times because what they are depending upon will fail. God repeatedly warns to worship and serve Him alone, and He warns of the consequences of trusting idols. When we break God’s laws, we get the consequences.

But when we keep God’s laws, we also get the consequences. So, when our mind is fixed on God, when we commit ourself to God, when we lean on Him, and hope confidently in Him, God “will guard and keep [us] “in perfect and constant peace.” As He promises in Isaiah 26.

“You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.” (Isaiah 26:3, AMPC)

God never, no never, no never fails! (Hebrews 13:5). We can be confident, because God says that as–or to the degree that–we keep our minds fixed on Him we will experience His mercy and loving—kindness.

“Let Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us, in proportion to our waiting and hoping for You.” (Psalm 38:22, AMPC)

In summary: Therefore—because of all we just saw–In fearful circumstances like today, let us turn our hearts and minds to God, recalling His message of comfort and His promises in Isaiah 40 and 41. Let us not look at circumstances, rather let us focus specifically on Isaiah 41:10–He IS with us! God Almighty, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of the Bible, IS with us and in us and working through us as we love and serve Him! This is the One Whose eye is on us!

(18) “Behold, the Lord’s eye is upon those who fear Him [who revere and worship Him with awe], who wait for Him and hope in His mercy and loving-kindness, (19) to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. (20) Our inner selves wait [earnestly] for the Lord; He is our help and our Shield. (21) FOR in Him does our heart rejoice, BECAUSE we have trusted [relied on and been confident) in His holy name. (22) Let Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us, in proportion to our waiting and hoping for You.” (Psalm 33:18-22, AMPC, emphasis added).

Part Three: In Part Three, we will consider the second half of Isaiah 41:10, in which God promises:

“. . . I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice.”

I certainly need His strength! This week, meditate on His truth, as God commanded us to meditate in Deuteronomy. Think about His truths as you wake up, as you walk through your day, and as you go to bed. Ponder Isaiah 41:10 and see what God shows you personally.