When our circumstances change, two of our first reactions may be fear and the thought that God has left us. That isn’t the case. This devotion looks at how God uses change to comfort us.
Nuggets
- God has chosen you, and just because circumstances have changed, He hasn’t bundled you up and thrown you into outer space.
- Fear takes your focus on God.
- God still has a plan for you.
- God is I AM.
- God will cause everything to work together to expand His kingdom.
- When the trials are hitting all around you is when you have to depend on God.
- God holds on to you.
“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand”
Isaiah 41: 10 (CSB)
Hey, you. Yeah, you. God is talking to you.
God sees you hurting right now. He sees you worrying about the future.
There is a message specifically for you. When I was thinking about you, I remembered the saying, God is still writing your story; don’t try to steal the pen.
Let's Put It into Context
“But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, ‘You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off’” (Isa. 41: 8-9 RSV).
You see, God is still talking to you. What? Your name isn’t Israel or Jacob or Abraham?
Doesn’t matter. “… You are [His] servant, [He has] chosen you and not cast you off’” (Isa. 41: 9 RSV).
God has chosen you, and just because circumstances have changed, He hasn’t bundled you up and thrown you into outer space.
“… You are [still His] servant …” (Isa. 41: 9 RSV). Nothing is going to change that.
Do Not Fear
“Do not fear … do not be afraid …” (Isa. 41: 10 CSB)
I know. Change brings a lot of fear, especially if you haven’t had much time to get adjusted to the change. If you haven’t had this type of change in a long while, it has its own set of fears, which can paralyze us.
You know that things are out there to fear. Satan is out there causing trouble. He is going to keep trying to get you to sin.
But fear takes your focus on God. It puts it on the real and perceived threats — and there are going to be those real and perceived threats.
If you aren’t careful, fear will shut you down. You won’t read the Bible; you won’t pray to the loving Father. Don’t let that be you.
I know. It is just part of our human nature to fear. Genesis 3: 10 says, “And [Adam] said, ‘I heard You in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid’” (HCSB).
Adam was only afraid of God after he sinned. When you are His child, there is no need for you to be afraid. Unfortunately, we all usually do have a lot of fears.
God has chosen you. You have ABCDed. You’re good.
The ABCDs of Salvation
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to
live the way in which God has called us
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
God still has a plan for you. “I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for” (Jer. 29: 11 GNT emphasis added).
Yes, the kicker is that we sometimes have a different definition of disaster than God does. But remember, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Rom. 8: 28 NLT).
God will cause everything to work together to expand His kingdom. That will be good for you.
No, it may not have been what you were planning. But you don’t have to fear. Why?
I Am
“… for I am with you … for I am your God …” (Isa. 41: 10 CSB)
God is I AM. Not I USED TO BE. Not I MAY BE AGAIN. But He is I AM.
“… for I am with you … for I am your God …” (Isa. 41: 10 CSB emphasis added). And you know what, He will be your God for eternity.
Okay, read that again this way. “… for I am with you … for I am your God …” (Isa. 41: 10 CSB emphasis added).
God isn’t going anywhere. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Josh. 1: 9 ESV).
So, God is going to be right beside you. Do not be dismayed is another way to say don’t fear. God has us in the palm of His hand (Jn. 10: 29).
I found a great quote when I was researching this. “It needs that the ear be tuned before it’s music can be appreciated” (Spurgeon). We have to be tuned to God.
What greater Person to go to with your fears than the Creator of the universe? Why not go to the Person that knows all the past, knows all the present, and knows all the future?
What does all of this say? “But [God] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (II Cor. 12: 9 ESV).
His grace is sufficient. You don’t have to be afraid that you will get overwhelmed if you put our trust in Him. You don’t have to worry about what is coming next.
In a way, God is secret about this sustaining power; in a way, He isn’t. He tells us He is going to sustain us.
But a lot of times, we don’t see it. That doesn’t mean He isn’t working behind our scenes — He is. He is just working things out.
Strength and Help
“… I will strengthen you; I will help you …” (Isa. 41: 10 CSB)
What can we expect from God when we put our trust in Him? Strength and help.
We’ve talked about strength a couple of times. God wants us to be strong because He wants us to be all in His Plan. He knows we need strength to resist Satan’s temptation. Paul told us to pray for strength for others – and they should pray for strength for us. We talked about getting the rich grace of strength through which to carry out our work in God’s Plan.
To read a related devotion, click the appropriate button below.
But think a second about when and how you get your strength. Is it when things going good? And you are depending on your own?
No, it is when the trials are hitting all around you. It is when you have to depend on God. It is then that “… they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (Isa. 40: 31 ESV).
This is the opposite of fearing. It is soaring instead of wallowing. It is continuing to do His work instead of being paralyzed. It is showing your testimony to others when you could be reacting just as the world does.
Hand Holding
“… I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand” (Isa. 41: 10 CSB)
God holds on to you. He doesn’t let you go anywhere.
Listen to what Lauren Daigle’s song says.
“You say I am loved when I can’t feel a thing
You say I am strong when I think I am weak
And you say I am held when I am falling short
And when I don’t belong, oh You say I am Yours.”
God has you. He won’t let go.
Making the Connections
God is not going to go anywhere. It is you that does the leaving. So, when the troubles fly, you have to make sure you are seeking Him.
Searching for and Seeking God
Hearing His Word (Rom. 10: 17 NLT).
Reading His Word (Rev. 1: 3 ESV).
Praying to Him (Heb. 4: 16 ESV).
Studying His Word (Ac. 17: 11 NLT).
Meditating on His Word (Ps. 1: 1-2).
Memorizing His Word (Ps. 119: 11 NLT).
To read Has God Provided Everything We Need?, click the button below.
How Do We Apply This?
Make this one of your mottoes during this time. “If God is for [me], who can ever be against [me]?” (Rom. 8: 31 NLT).
Hang on to God. Latch on but give Him room to keep working the pen. He is still writing your story.
Chill. If you have to tell Satan to take a hike, tell him to take a hike. Tell him that you are not going to deny your God.
God is in charge of writing your story. He has the best story in mind for you. Quit stealing the pen.
Find courage and hope. When you seek God, it won’t be very far away.
“When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Ps. 56: 3-4 HCSB).
What do you think?
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