Be Strong, Fear not!

Isaiah 35:4-7

Say to those who have an anxious heart,

    “Be strong; fear not!

Behold, your God

    will come with vengeance,

with the recompense of God.

    He will come and save you.”

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,

    and the ears of the deaf unstopped;

then shall the lame man leap like a deer,

    and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.

For waters break forth in the wilderness,

    and streams in the desert;

the burning sand shall become a pool,

    and the thirsty ground springs of water;

in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down,

    the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

It seems that the more we are concerned about our situation, the more we are tempted to focus on ourselves and what we should do.  We make preparations when emergencies threaten and we stress over our insecurities.  And while it is good to pay attention to potential threats, even if we do all that we can do, our minds find no rest.  This is especially true when the threats that we face are overwhelming.  At those times our hearts are truly anxious and our mind has no peace.

God, through His prophet Isaiah, reminds us that we are to first put our faith in Him.  The prophet reminds us that “He will come to save you.” 

When we remember all that God did to save us in Jesus through His suffering and death on the cross, our hearts at last find peace.  When the struggle was over the threat of hell itself, God came to save us.  If our heavenly Father was willing to give everything in Jesus, He will certainly not fail to grant salvation to all who trust in Him.  As Jesus rose in glory from the dead, so shall the Lord grant salvation to all who trust in Him.

Let us pray,

Lord, when my heart is anxious, help me to remember Jesus, trust in His salvation, and find peace in your eternal faithfulness. I trust in your power to save.  In Jesus name I pray, Amen. 

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come,Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.  Amen.