Isaiah 41:10 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, inspired by God, says “do not be dismayed”. Webster’s defines dismayed as follows:experiencing or showing feelings of alarmed concern or dismay: upset, worried, or agitated because of some unwelcome situation or occurrence. There are plenty of unwelcome situations and occurrences that come up in life but God tells His people to not fear, to not be dismayed.
Isaiah 41:10 gives us three reasons not to fear. We need not fear because (1) God is with us (“I am with you”), (2) God has established a relationship with us (“I am your God”), and (3) God gives us assurance of His strength, help, and victory. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
How is God with us? How has He established a relationship with us? How does God give us assurance? It is good to know that God is omnipresent (everywhere at one time)—it is one of His attributes. Coinciding with His omnipresence are the attributes of omniscience (all knowledge) and omnipotence (all power). These concepts are a bit much for us to comprehend, but God knows that, too. Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. God fills His creation and is universally present in person, in understanding, and in power at all times. Acts 17:27 reminds us that “he is not far from any one of us”.
On a more personal level, God is with all believers today in that His Holy Spirit indwells us. This indwelling can only happen if one is born again (John 3:3). 1 John 5:11-12 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. And Jesus said the Father comes to abide with us: John 14:23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.
In Galatians 2:20 Paul, inspired by God, writes, “Christ lives in me.” Then in Galatians 3:5 he says that God has given us His Spirit. In Galatians 3:26-27, he says “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” So we are “baptized into Christ” and are “clothed” with Christ. (God is as close as our clothing!) Galatians 5 then discusses the fruit of the Spirit and states in verse 25, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” With many such verses as these, it is clear that God is definitely with us.
One of Jesus’ titles is “Immanuel,” which means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). When Jesus came into this world, He was truly, literally “God with us.” Because God is with us, we know that we will never be separated from His love. Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
With all the uncertainty in our world today it is very easy to fear , to become dismayed. But we belong to the Almighty God and we need not fear because God is with us, He is our God, and he will strengthen us and uphold us with His righteous hand.