SOUNDING OUT:
Fear Thou Not, For I Am with Thee
I was comforted the other
day as I found myself singing a chorus I had learned
nearly 20 years earlier. It was Isaiah 41:10.
Isaiah 41:10:
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.
That Word in the form
of a chorus brought me comfort. Knowing that God’s
presence and power are in us and with us in every situation
equips us to live as more than a conqueror. The Scottish
pastor and writer Thomas Guthrie spoke of the sword
of the Spirit, the Word of God as “an armory of
heavenly weapons, a laboratory of infallible medicines,
a mine of exhaustless wealth. It is a guidebook for
every road, a chart for every sea, a medicine for every
malady (including fear), and a balm for every wound.
Rob us of our Bible and our sky has lost its sun.”
Of course the thief would love to steal God’s
Word from our minds, but don’t get ripped off.
There is no substitute for God’s Word; hold it
fast.
Hebrews 4:12:
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper
than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing
asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow,
and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the
heart.
The better you know the
Word of God, the easier it will to keep from being ripped
off. It will help us detect Satan’s lies and resist
his temptations. Keeping our mind steadfastly fixed
upon God is critical when we’re tempted to worry.
Those steadfast of mind will God keep in perfect peace.
Isaiah 26:3;
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed
on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Feelings are no guarantee
for truth, God’s Word is truth. Do you remember
the jingle.
Feelings come and feelings
go
They all may be deceiving;
My warrant is the Word of God,
Naught else is worth believing.
Following the example
of the psalmist, we too can turn our attention to God
and say:
Psalm 56:3:
What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
Some people handle their
fears, anxieties, and insecurities by turning to alcohol,
others to food, and some to busyness. David gives us
a better solution -- turn to the LORD. It’s tragic
when we turn to something other than God to fill our
voids or cover up our pain.
Let’s declare with the psalmist:
Psalm 91:2;
I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress:
my God; in him will I trust.
Indeed the entire 92nd
Psalm when sung from any heart can magnificently deliver
from any and all fear. When God’s Word fortifies
our hearts, we will call upon Him. God’s assures
us that, “He shall call upon me, and I will answer
him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him,
and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him, and
show him my salvation.”
Get ready to see great things. Are you facing
fear today? Let the words of Isaiah 41:10 remind you
that the Lord will uphold you with the right hand of
His righteousness.
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