Scripture: Isaiah 41:10
Author: Isaiah 736-686 B.C.
“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 hand”
God doesn’t start by telling you to toughen up or just deal with it—God starts by pointing to His presence. Fear loses credibility when the Almighty is standing in the room!
So yes, absolutely fear begins to crumble when the presence of God is remembered more deeply than the presence of threat. Strength is not demanded from you; it is supplied to you.
God does not stand far off waiting for you to climb toward Him—He comes close, upholds, and steadies. You do not enter this day alone. You enter carried.
Who was Isaiah and why is he highly important?
Isaiah served Kings— he was not just some kook wearing a sign on the street corner. He served for at least four kings and walked into their courts like a boss! He was considered to have divine insight. Isaiah is the second most quoted book in the Old Testament (after Psalms).
His writings are hard, sure—he was basically a poet and was lit-up with Divine inspiration, so he was very unique in how he communicated; But his writings were and are still potentially the most important writings in the Jewish Tanakh and arguable for the entire Christian bible.
Why? Because his writing is the connection between the old and New Testament…. and, quite importantly, the Old and New Covenants. More on the covenants in a later devotional.
…oh, and one final, itty-bitty detail…
He was the most precise and accurate prophet who foretold the coming of the Messiah, and the Messiah’s life. That Messiah could only have been the Nazarene, Jesus himself…
Maybe that last detail deserved the header of this entire section but it’s also a good mic-drop moment too.
