“Fear thou not: for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yes, I will help thee; yes, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.” Isaiah 41:10
Dear Ones:
In God’s call to man to trust Him, and this proved by obedience to the revealed will of God, He addresses the basis and most fundamental needs of man where faith MUST be applied. In examining what God said to Israel, sometimes speaking many times in different, yet clear ways, we can grasp what He is saying to each of us. He has not changed, nor His will, purpose for us, or His desire to meet every need, so that we glorify Him, and know His blessing.
The first need He addresses is that of loneliness. There is no doubt, as we look at the world today, that loneliness is a very real issue with living. People are afraid to be alone, especially abandoned. The call of God to every individual is one of coming to the One who will NEVER leave us, is constantly present, knowing all things…our “uprising and our down-sitting,” so knowledgeable as to know the words that we will speak before we speak them. (Psalm 139) For the one who will truly trust in the love and promises of God, comes the promise, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)
The second need of man is that of looking inward, identifying one’s meager resources which are completely insufficient to meet every need, the result being dismay, or disappointment leading to discouragement. To this need, God declares, “…I am thy God.” In saying such, He reveals His resources for every need. He is the spring of life, and its river, providing all for the strengthening of the soul, and the encouraging of the heart.
The third need that God specifically addresses, is the need for strength, and help, beyond oneself. Over and over again in Scripture, the Lord calls upon man, every man, to trust Him in this manner, for He is not only the author and provider of strength, but strength Himself. He IS our strength. As to “help,” that very real need of His intervention in a specific moment of time, He IS not only present, but actively responsive to the one who will truly call upon Him, and receive expectantly from Him. As the Psalmist writes, He is “…a very present help in time of trouble.” (Ps. 46:1)
The fourth need is that of stability, being established in mind and heart, and sustained in that attitude. The Lord’s promise is to “uphold” us with the right hand of His righteousness. For David, this meant not only that it is the Lord that “…maintains my lot,” (Ps. 16:5) but also, “…restores my soul.”(Ps. 23:3) For Moses, the Lord upholds by “establishing the works of our hands.” (Ps. 90:17) Another Psalmist wrote: “The Lord IS my keeper.” (Ps. 121:5) So, how does the Lord uphold us? He does so by meeting us in our hearts, restoring our souls, keeping us in the way, His way, and establishing the works of our hands as He keeps and maintains, not only that which He has entrusted to us, but our very souls, that which we have committed to Him. This is all possible, and assured, by His righteous authority and power.
The call of God to faith is one where the believer specifically trusts Him according to His commandments. He commands the believer to not fear, or be dismayed. These attitudes do not belong to the believer because of what God has promised with regard to His presence, help, strength, and sustaining grace. The issue then becomes one of whether the believer will CHOOSE to believe Him. This he can do if he or she will ask God for grace to do so. The throne to which the believer is to come, is one of grace, where he or she can receive mercy, and FIND GRACE to help in time of need.
Dear Father, the Psalmist wrote, “…when I am afraid, I WILL trust in Thee.” Strengthen us to always turn to Thee, taking the Lord Jesus as our light, life, strength, and very present help. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad