Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
September 1, 2024
Isaiah 41:8-16
8 But you, Israel my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, offspring of Abraham, whom I love, 9 you whom I took from the ends of the earth and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, “You are my servant; I chose you and didn’t reject you”: 10 Don’t fear, because I am with you; don’t be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will surely help you; I will hold you with my righteous strong hand. 11 All who rage against you will be shamed and disgraced. Those who contend with you will be as nothing and will perish. 12 You will look for your opponents, and won’t find them. Those who fight you will be of no account and will die. 13 I am the LORD your God, who grasps your strong hand, who says to you, Don’t fear; I will help you. 14 Don’t fear, worm of Jacob, people of Israel! I will help you, says the LORD. The holy one of Israel is your redeemer. 15 Look, I’ve made you into a new threshing tool with sharp teeth. You will thresh mountains and pulverize them; you will reduce hills to straw. 16 When you winnow them, the wind will carry them off; the tempest will scatter them. You will rejoice in the LORD and take pride in the holy one of Israel.
Good Morning! Fear not; God is with us!
The Message translates vs. 9-10 this way: ‘You’re my servant, serving on my side. I’ve picked you. I haven’t dropped you.’ Don’t panic. I’m with you. There’s no need to fear, for I’m your God. I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you. Remember, I am always with you, providing comfort and reassurance.
In my times of deepest despair, I find myself leaning on the words, “Fear not, I am with you!” The command “Fear not!” appears throughout the Bible. God wants us to know that when things don’t feel right, we should turn to our faith. We can find temporary or earthly fixes to overcome or hide our fears, but these are just band-aids covering the symptoms.
When we are afraid, we are vulnerable, and we don’t like being vulnerable. We especially don’t want others to see or sense our vulnerability, so we create facades to hide our fears. Only God knows our entire being, and only with God can we find respite from our fears and, ultimately, peace.
God has the answers that we seek: God is the cure for our fear. God promises: I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.
Faithful God, Thank you for creating us. When we are afraid, you are there to keep us steady. Thank you! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: God can help us through any challenge.
Fear not, God is here! Pastor Liz
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