“I Am With You!”

The presence of Almighty God enables us to meet all internal and external challenges.  On any day, we confront myriad issues of health, finance, marriage, family, and job.  Understandably, fear overtakes us and anxiety paralyzes us.  We are clueless about resolving these problems.  Sometimes, we make fear larger than life.  We fail to see solutions as we focus so heavily upon the dread we feel.  Isaiah reminds us God is always present to empower us.  He says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

This verse contains a lifetime of promises from Almighty God.  First, the Lord encourages us to forsake the fear; faith and fear cannot coexist just as darkness and light cannot simultaneously occupy the same space.  God is our Shepherd who leads and protects us.  His presence eliminates our worries. 

Secondly, He tells us not to fear because He is with us.  God’s presence comforts us.  He always appears with power.  The word, comfort, equals the combination of “cum” (Latin for with) and “fortis” (Latin for power or strength).  God’s presence always yields fortitude necessary to overcome hard times.  The first two clauses of this verse are amazing promises for all believers who possess a mustard seed’s faith to receive them.

God says, “I am with you.”  The great “I AM” (Exodus 3:14) is always with us.  God simply is.  He is everywhere.  Therefore, it is fallacious to ask God to be with us.  “Be with us now Lord as we go into this surgery.”  Interestingly, God is already in the operating room before you get there.  Instead, we ask the Lord to open the eyes of our hearts and minds so we see Him.  We may need a greater revelation of His presence and a better understanding of His will.  Additionally, we may require a reassurance of His comforting presence.

Nonetheless, the third and fourth clauses of Isaiah 41:10 reiterate the first and second.  “Do not be dismayed, for I am your God.”  Essentially, the Lord says, “don’t fret.”  There are times when we throw a pity party.  We focus upon the circumstances until they overwhelm us.  Then, we begin believing our problems are superlative to everyone else’s.  Then, the Lord reminds us to open our eyes and realize He is present throughout any ordeal; giving us confidence to face daily struggles. 

Furthermore, He says, “I will strengthen you and help you.”  The maker of heaven and earth pledges His resources and assistance in resolving any dilemma that confronts us.  Simply stated, God will give whatever we need to be victorious.  This divine promise eradicates any anxiety and enables our focus upon God’s practical guidance.  There is no magic.  God accomplishes our triumph through a combination of His steadfast love, power of the Holy Spirit and tools of a sharp mind.  Ephesians 3:20 declares God aids us beyond our wildest imaginations.  He does so through the strength of His Spirit working within us.

The last section of this verse summarizes these remarkable assurances.  God upholds us despite the circumstances.  He pledges solely on the basis of His righteousness.  “I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  God carries us when we fall upon the road of life.  When we exhaust our strength, we rely upon His power and might.  Elsewhere, Isaiah says, “He gives power to the weak and to them that they have no might, He increases strength.” 

The Lord concludes His divine guarantees in Isaiah 41:13 repeating the words of the tenth verse.  “For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”  What a wonderful image of a loving Father who takes the hand of a scared child and reassures him or her that everything is going to be all right.  The presence, wisdom, practical guidance and spiritual empowerment of Almighty God enable us to become “more than conquerors through Jesus Christ who loves us.”