“Fear thou not, for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” Isaiah 41:10
In God’s dealings throughout history, He has dealt with the nation of Israel in different ways. However, His commitment to her has always been the same, without fault and without variation. There is no one who has ever lived, or will ever live, who can match God’s declaration of His commitment, both with regard to His motive, and the power with which He works, to reveal His absolute faithfulness and resolve. God’s promises are the specific, direct, and personal commitment that He has given to Israel, with a direct application to every believer in the body of Christ. Though some of these promises concern a specific location, and the dealing with a set of circumstances which speak of enemies which are found in the middle East, the truth of God’s will and purposes shines through His words, to not only give hope to the believer, but provide the abundant means by which he can truly know and prove the faithfulness of God. God’s eternal purpose, as revealed in the epistles of Paul has to do with the manifestation in fullest measure of the glory of God in His creation. This He will accomplish through the finished work of Christ a testimony and witness, not only by lost souls being saved, justified, and set apart to receive the blessing of the Spirit of life in Christ, but the revelation of the glory of God in Christ, in the exceeding greatness for time and eternity, Wonderful and powerful promises of God have for their objective to glorify God in the greatest measure, and bless mankind beyond what any man can ask or think. Indeed, Scripture declares this in a promise: “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.” (1 Cor. 2:9) What are these promises to all men who would believe in God, in Christ? And how is the believer to live according to them?
As the number of these promises is so great, we shall only look at one verse of Scripture to discover something of the manifold, and blessed wisdom of God, revealed unto those who would know Christ, and walk with Him. In Isaiah 41:10, the Lord declares: “Fear thou not, for I am with thee.” The call of God to the one who has surrendered himself to Christ, is to never fear, for nothing can touch him but that God knows of it or allows it. Even so, in every circumstance, from the time of the believer’s beginning faith in Christ, God’s presence is with him, never forsaking him, nothing separating him from the love of God.
Secondly, the Lord commands, “…do not be dismayed, for I am thy God.” To be dismayed is to be disappointed, fearful, or upset. God’s answer to this attitude is simply, “I am thy God.” Why is this so relevant? Not only is God with the believer, but He is in every way “for” the believer, ever providing, caring for, and protecting him as Shepherd and Lord.
Then comes the promise of God’s commitment to give His strength to the weak, and weary soul. It is an ever-present strength given in the measure of every need, both great and small. In that strengthening is the very present “help” of God, His intervention to uplift and sustain. It is then that the believer needs to see and understand that God will “uphold” him, sustain him, even carry him. All this God will do because of one thing, “the right hand of My (His) righteousness.” His right hand is that symbol of His perfect powerful, absolute authority. The fact that it is by the hand of God that the believer is sustained, reveals just how personal is the intervention of God.
Personal faith in the personal God, Christ, is the key.
Dear Father, Empower us to believe. In Jesus’ name, Amen.