“Fear not . . . . be not dismayed!”

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“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).

This is a most interesting and tremendous statement and promise from God Almighty. Consider how it begins. “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God.” 

Interestingly, before His actual promise, God’s intent is to get our attention to Himself and what He would have us to know. His use of the personal pronouns “I” and “you” are very important in that He is speaking personally to you and me as individuals. 

The Christian’s God is our heavenly Father, who is also the God of heaven and the God of the Holy Scriptures. Notice these words: “I am with you,” and “I am your God.”

God rightly uses the term “I am” in expressing His love, concern, authority, and His divine means to help us. 

And He said to Moses: “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14). This reveals God’s self-existence and His unchanging divine character. Also, His word cannot not be broken and He fulfills all His promises.

The first promise God makes in the text says: “I will strengthen you.” There are times in the Christian experience when we need God’s strengthening in our faith and confidence in God to keep on believing that He is able to do as He says and promises.

It is important to keep in mind that unlike man, God is consistently reliable and trustworthy.     What He says, He definitely means. And what He means He says. Numbers 23:19: “God is not man, that He should lie, or a son of man that he should change His mind. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” 

The second promise God makes is: “I will help you.” No matter who we are and what we try to do, many of us need divine help from time to time. Hence God says: “I will help you.” And there is absolutely no help like “divine help,” which comes only from God. 

The psalmist said: “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1,2).

God is able to make a way where no way seems possible. The Bible says this about God: “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20).

This means that God is able to ‘go beyond’ what we are actually asking or thinking because He knows what we don’t know. It is possible we could underestimate the extent of our situation when we pray for God’s help.

Then this comes next in our text. God also promises: “I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

This promise means God will provide unwavering support for His children irrespective of the circumstances. His righteous right hand is symbolic of his awesome omnipotence. He will maintain us in His grasp. 

In Isaiah 41, God also says: “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” (verse 13).

There is a slight variation here from the previous text. This is meant for emphasis, and not redundancy. God declares “I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand and the one who helps you.”

How inspiring it is to be fully aware that the God who we worship and serve is committed to helping us. What He has promised, He is able to perform, because He keeps His word forever to everyone who believes and obeys. 

Psalm 84:11 says: “For the LORD God is a sun and shield.; the LORD bestows favor and  honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11).

We also read: “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory” (2 Corinthians 1:20).

The word “Amen” is usually said at the end of prayer to express agreement or approval of what the prayer was about.