Isaiah 41:13 (CJB) For I, ADONAI, your God, say to you, as I hold your right hand, 'Have no fear; I will help you.
GLIMPSES OF GOD'S GREATNESS THAT ISAIAH GIVES
Glimpse #1
In Isaiah 41:1 God says, "Coastlands, listen to Me in silence, and let the peoples gain new strength; let them come forward, then let them speak; let us come together for judgment."
Here is a picture of God calling all the coastlands and all the peoples to gird up their strength and come before him for judgment. The God of Isaiah 41:10 is the judge of all the earth. He calls all nations to give an account of their lives and their religions and their thoughts. He is not called to account. He is not on trial. They are. They come into his courtroom. He is the judge of all and will pass sentence on every person. That's the God who is with you to strengthen and help.
Glimpse #2
In Isaiah 41:2-3 Isaiah asks, "Who has aroused one from the east [probably Cyrus the Persian king that God stirred up to come against Babylon] whom He [God] calls in righteousness to His feet? He delivers up nations before him, and subdues kings. He makes them like dust with his sword, as the wind-driven chaff with his bow."
Here is a picture of God rousing a king and leading him in conquest and delivering up nations before him. So the God of Isaiah 41:10 is Ruler of the rulers of history. He controls the affairs of men and nations for his purposes. That's who gives the pillars for fearlessness in Isaiah 41:10.
Glimpse #3
In Isaiah 41:4 Isaiah asks, "Who has performed and accomplished it, calling forth the generations from the beginning? 'I, the Lord, am the first, and with the last. I am He.'"
Here is a picture of God not only judging the nations and ruling the rulers of the earth but calling all the nations of the earth into being--"calling forth the generations from the beginning." God is the first--he is the absolute reality before all other reality and on which all other reality depends. He is the uncreated first. And he will be there with the last when all is accomplished according to his eternal purpose.
When God answers, "I, the Lord, am the first . . ." the word "Lord" is "Jehovah or Yahweh. Franz Deilitzsch comments on this verse: "It is the full meaning of the name Jehovah which is unfolded here; for God is called Jehovah as the absolute I, the absolutely free Being, pervading all history, and yet above all history, as He who is Lord of His own absolute being, in revealing which He is purely self-determined; in a word, as the unconditionally free and unchangeably eternal personality" (cited in E.J. Young, The Book of Isaiah, vol. 3, p 76). That's the God of Isaiah 41:10 who strengthens and helps and upholds.
Glimpse #4
In verses 5-7 Isaiah shows us the desperate attempts of the nations to persuade themselves that they and their gods are strong. Verse 5: they are afraid and they come together. Verse 6: they try to encourage each other not to be afraid, and say, "Be strong!" Verse 7: the idol makers who smooth the metal and nail up the idols with nails try to encourage each other and say, "It is good."
In other words, there is a picture of the unrepentant nations desperately trying to convince themselves that their self-wrought gods, made with soldering and nails, are really adequate for their needs.
Over against this desperation of self-reliance and idolatry God says to his people in verses 8-9, "But you [are] Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, descendant of Abraham My friend, you whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called from its remotest parts, and said to you, 'You are My servant, I have chosen you and not rejected you.'"
That is what God has done for us in Christ. He chose us before the foundation of the world. He called us out of darkness and death. And he took us for himself to be his. To make himself our God.
There are some truths in the Word of God that I want to give you. These truths will help us in these days of discouragement, dismay, despair, and disorientation so we can stay encouraged. I have determined that there are three things that will get us through the trials and discouragements of life.
The Five Pillars of Fearlessness
1. "For I am with you"--"Do not fear, for I am with you."
2. "I am your God"--"Do not look anxiously about you, for I am your God."
3. "I will strengthen you."
4. "surely I will help you."
5. "Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."
When God calls you to be free from fear as you do evangelism, as you take a test, as you face an interview, as you take a stand against an unjust business practice, as you confront someone with sin in their life, when you leave a secure position and take a risk in a new venture, when you face an operation or a treatment, when you lose a spouse or a friend--when God calls you to be free from fear (to overcome this natural emotion and have peace, he does not leave the command hanging in the air. He puts pillars under it. Five of them. That's the nature of all Biblical commands. They come with divine support.
Fear not . . . God is with you;
Fear not . . . God is your God;
Fear not . . . God will strengthen you;
Fear not . . . God will help you;
Fear not . . . God will uphold you.
The key to overcoming fear is resting on the pillars of the promises of God. ~Bits and Pieces from the sermon by John Piper
Isaiah 41:10-13 (AMP) 10 Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice. 11 Behold, all they who are enraged and inflamed against you shall be put to shame and confounded; they who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish. 12 You shall seek those who contend with you but shall not find them; they who war against you shall be as nothing, as nothing at all. 13 For I the Lord your God hold your right hand; I am the Lord, Who says to you, Fear not; I will help you!
Many things will discourage you in this life. When you see the world growing in power and wickedness, it will discourage you. When it seems that nothing is the same as before, it has the potential to discourage you. You would think that because of the wickedness of the world the church would fight harder than ever before. However, Jesus declared in Matthew 24:12, (KJV) “12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” God wants us to be an encouraged people!
When studying the Word and praying, I saw a vision of God's hand and he said, "Take My Hand." ~Debi Webster Perry
From Genesis to Revelation, God has spoken to people through dreams and visions! We can choose to invite God's Spirit to speak to us in any way that He chooses. God has not limited us to know Him only with our minds and the written logos Word of God. We can invite Him to make Himself known to us through open spiritual eyes and ears. Praise God! He wants us to know Him intimately!
More Study on the Hand of God: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10208488417788268&set=a.1394488662546.78714.1242077685&type=3&theater
