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.

Isaiah 41:10

Have you ever been afraid – really afraid? Over the years, I’ve experienced fear at times mostly in the form of anxiety while facing circumstances that look, let’s say, less than favorable.

In the passage above, we find another familiar verse from Isaiah’s writings. Here the LORD is speaking to the faithful from Israel and those words apply to us as well.

There are two commands in the verse supported with several reasons to believe –

The LORD says, don’t be afraid and don’t be dismayed (don’t be overly anxious). Let’s consider the promises that back up those commands:

• God is with you. ““I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” -Hebrews 13:5-6
• The LORD is your God. Only the LORD is God and there are no other gods.”To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides him.” – Deuteronomy 4:6
• The LORD will strengthen you. “The LORD is my strength and my shield; n him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults,and with my song I give thanks to him.” – Psalm 28:7
• The LORD will help you. “For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” – Isaiah 41:13
• The LORD will hold on to you. “The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand.” -Psalm 37:23-24

No matter what we face, we should have confidence that God will always be with us, no matter the circumstances.