Isaiah 41:10 "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."
I know I say this often, but for today, this is one of my favorite verses in
the Bible. Many years ago, I realized this verse was used as the second verse
in the grand old hymn, "How Firm a Foundation." But even more than
that, I love this verse because it is God's promise. He promised it to His
chosen nation, Israel. But today, as I read it, I can be assured that He wrote
it just for me - or you - or whoever finds comfort in this verse. That's the
beauty of God's Word. It is written personally to each one who is searching for
peace and comfort.
When I read electric meters, I was told many times to not be
afraid when a dog would be charging at me. I discounted those words
because the owner really didn't know his dog well enough to absolutely assure
me that it would not bite me. One man that I worked with, when told to act like
he wasn't afraid, said, "Lady, if I was that good of an actor, I would be
in Hollywood." There isn't always a basis of fact when people tell
us to not be afraid. The words, "fear not," or a form of them,
are used 331 times in 144 verses of the Bible. The reason I find comfort and
assurance is because this is my Heavenly Father who tells me not to fear.
He then gives reason for me to be comforted.