Text of Focus: Isaiah 41:10
‘Do not ear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
Our text of focus finds the children of Israel in captivity in Babylon, ( which was not such a hard thing to them, since they had totally acclimated themselves to the Babylonian lifestyle even insofar as they turned away from Jehovah GOD to serve the pagan gods of Babylon).The occurrence that cause them to be overwhelmed with fear, which merited God’s words of comfort was the Proclamation that God made in the opening verses of chapter 41. The proclamation was that he was getting ready to raise up a righteous man, that would He would give all the nations to and would cause him to rule over all the kings. It is best to take him as Cyrus the Persian, who overthrew the Babylonian Empire and issued the decree that permitted the Jews to return to their homeland. He is called God’s servant because he fulfilled God’s will in punishing Babylon and in enabling the Jews to return to the Holy Land. (Ezra 1)
God Instruction to His people
Fear not ~ disconnect you imagination from your senses.
2 Corinthians 10:55 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; {Don’t let what you see, hear or feel decrease your faith in GOD}
Be not dismayed ~ Don’t be anxious about anything.
Philippians 4:6 Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. {Calm down, God is in control.}
Gods Promise to His people
I will strengthen you ~ He’s going to set you up!
1 Thess. 3:13 To the end he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
I surly will help you ~ God will be your support system.
2 Chronicles 16:9 (nasb)For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.
I will uphold you ~ He will keep you from falling!
Jude 24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
