Isaiah 41:10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Do you sometimes feel weak, disappointed, alone, uneasy? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. According to some research on the topic of anxiety, some 40 million adults over the age of 18 struggle with anxiety and anxiety disorders in the U.S. alone. That’s a lot of people feeling depressed, anxious and afraid. If anxiety reigns in our lives, it has been proven that anxiety can lead to other sicknesses and diseases because the body and its immunity has been compromised from the outside in.
This simple verse from Isaiah says something to you and me that we should prescribe to our bodies, souls and minds like medicine to an ailment. Our Father in Heaven wants us to lean on Him for strength, support and assurance. In this verse alone there are 5 assurances for us from God himself:
1) I (God) am with you!
2) I am your God!
3) I will strengthen you!
4) I will help you!
5) I will uphold you with my righteous right hand
What I have found in my life is that every promise God gives to his people – He keeps it!
He loves us that much, and He does not want us to fail, despair, or doubt Him!
Are you at the end of your rope today? Are you lacking confidence, assurance, hope? God comes to us and says; “I am with you don’t be afraid!” Lean on Him, know that He is there for you through thick and thin…but faith is a two way street…you have to place it in His hands.
So go ahead, find comfort and peace in your crammed, crazy busy schedule today, by realizing this verse in your life…I dare you!
“For God so loved that world that He gave His only son, so that whosoever believes in Him, will not perish, but have everlasting life”
we needed saving, we’re hopelessly lost, our life is literally going to hell in a hand-basket and what does this passage of scripture tell us? God loved us. It’s like giving your watch to a bank robber…it doesn’t seem to make sense. We don’t deserve such grace, and yet grace is just what we get with God.
God gave us His one and only son…so we wouldn’t have to die eternally…so that we could once again have a relationship with our Creator. This Son of God’s, was perfect, without sin, and He sacrifices his life for ours…so that his blood now covers our ocean of sin.
I’m not sure about you, but when I read this passage of scripture I don’t just think, “yeah I’ve heard that passage many times in church and Sunday school”; but I now think “Wow…I don’t deserve it…and yet it’s there for me!”
Christmas just came and went. and during that holiday season – kids will be kids and ask for so many things that it drives parents crazy, yet we know that we love them and we desire to give them what they need not what they want.
In God’s case, however, he gave us what we need and what we will want for all time. To be loved. The next time that you feel unloved…think again. You may not have your friends or family around you at that moment, it may hurt, the circumstances around you may not be great, but YOU ARE LOVED!
I want to challenge you to cry out to God in your times of need and in your times of plenty. Know that you have been thought of from the beginning of time and God wants a relationship with you!
Let’s be honest, living in community isn’t easy. We all know it, but we don’t say it because it’s kind of a sensitive subject…it effects you and me. We live in community with a lot of people whether we know it our not. Your co-workers – community. Your family – community. Your church – community. Your Neighrhood – yeah still community.
How we interact sometimes depends on how a particular relationship is at that time…if there’s been a falling out or disagreement that community might be strained or awkward. But no matter how you slice it we live in community…unless you’re a hermit in the woods.
With that being said, community can either be a positive or negative experience. Just look in the bible at Acts chapter 2 for an excellent example of a positive experience in community. After the day of Pentecost the early followers of Christ began an amazing house church community in which things thrived and exploded. They shared everything with one another such as food and financial resources. There was harmony and the sense of love was overwhelming. This was and still is one of the most amazing examples of community working, active and thriving in all of history.
I could give examples of unhealthy, negative communities but all one has to do to see this is to flip on a reality television or even experience it (possibly) in a co-worker dispute or family disagreement. It happens.
We are all susceptible to selfish ambitions and pride…the question is do we want to change? Is change possible? Can we grow?
Community isn’t easy, blow outs take place…but is it possible to exist in an Acts 2 community in our world? I believe it’s possible, but in order to get there we have to take off our mantles or pride and selfishness and adopt an attitude of Christ-like selflessness and humility…when or if we ever get there watch out because THAT community will be a magnet to many who witness it.
But first…compassion, selflessness and humility. -Micah 6:8
Ok I admit it, I used to love this sketch, but today it reminds me of something more than just comedy…although HA! This sketch still makes me laugh.
“In every way we’re troubled, but we aren’t crushed by our troubles. We’re frustrated, but we don’t give up.”
(2 Corinthians 4:8)
This has been one of my favorite passages for a long time, and I’ll tell you why…one word ‘Hope’. Not ‘hope’ in the sense of wishes, like “I hope it will be warmer tomorrow”, but rather the confidence in something so much more absolute and dependable. The hope that is conveyed here by the apostle Paul is a confidence in God and in the mission of this great truth of Christ.
If someone who had been beaten for his faith could relate to such an emotion as hope, then there must be something to it for us as well. Paul had been obsessed with eradicating these heretic followers of Christ when he was known as Saul, before the blinding celestial lights on the highway to Damascus came on. His experience there transformed him into a “won’t back down” kind of missionary and evangelist. He wasn’t in it for fame, certainly not fortune because there was none and his political and notoriety took a nose dive following his decision to declare Christ’s message to the known world. Paul knew that this road he was on would lead him to his eventual death…yet he didn’t take the next exit off this highway.
It kind of boggles the mind doesn’t it? This dude was beaten for his faith; he had been put in chains, and was serving Christ in various house arrests, ship wreaks, and eventually his ultimate sacrifice of execution. If there was ever a “who’s who” of hard-core Christ followers, Paul would most definitely be on that list! Yet in his difficulties, in his personal struggles and leadership struggles, he writes this letter of encouragement and hope to a church he hadn’t seen in a year.
The very first chapter he writes; “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in ALL our afflictions so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, which the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”(2 Cor. 3-4).
Not only was Paul confident in this hope that was in God, but he wanted others to know this comfort, confidence and hope too. His love for others placed him in danger yet he didn’t quit, withdraw, or deny his allegiance to God through the Messiah Christ Jesus.
Have you been crushed, pressed on all sides? Do you feel discouraged, let down, torn by life circumstances? Have you considered throwing up the white flag and giving up? You are not alone! I’ve been there, might be there again tomorrow…I don’t know. But what I do know is that this message that Paul wrote a looooooong time ago, is for me and you too! We may not face certain death for our convictions or declarations of faith, but we do face trouble because of it. Your struggle might be spiritual, physical or a little of both. Whatever you’re going through today, you are not alone, and God does NOT want you to give up either!
I’ve never been or wanted to be on the “who’s who” list of Hard-core followers of Christ, but I know still today, God calls us to take giant stands for Him, and whatever comes of these convictions and proclamations…we won’t back down or quit. This isn’t some call to arms, or some strange militia rant, this is a declaration of faith, and the knowledge that God will comfort you and me even in the most difficult of circumstances.
