Strengthen, Help, Uphold

During various trials I have experienced recently, including storms, illness and injury, God has spoken to my heart through 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.

It is amazing how often this verse, which was not particularly familiar to me before, has appeared so often recently, typically in clusters, as a sermon text, part of a daily devotional, verse of the day, or even a group email or Facebook post. These reminders of God’s faithfulness come at the darkest hour of the storm, just when I need them most.

It begins with the exhortation to fear not, which in various forms occurs in the Bible 365 times, one for each day of the year. Often it is God Himself or an angel sent by God who begins their message with this encouragement (Genesis 15:1; 21:17; 26:24; Luke 1:13, 30, etc.), for we are all sinners who have reason to fear God’s judgment (Romans 3:23; 6:23). Even in this evil world, we have many earthly reasons to fear, yet none at all, for our Lord Jesus Christ has won the victory over sin, death, the devil, and hell itself through His death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, 57; Matthew 16:18).

If God is with us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31). No human, physical, demonic or other power or being can separate us from God’s love (Romans 8:35-39) or pluck us from the hand of Jesus, which is held tight in the hand of the Father (John 10:28-29) and sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (Ephesians 1:13; 4:30). We need not fear, for He is with us, and He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

No matter how desperate, discouraging, or diabolical circumstances may seem, we are not to be dismayed, for He is our God, our Abba Father through adoption (Romans 8:15) once we are born again (John 3:3-8). Jesus Christ is also our Lord, Master (John 13:13), Savior (Isaiah 43:3, 11; Luke 2:11), Bridegroom (Matthew 25; Mark 2:19), Advocate (1 John 2:1), and High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16), and the Holy Spirit is our Comforter, Guide and Teacher (John 14:16, 26; 15:26). With such all-powerful connections, what reason can we possibly have to be dismayed?

As the apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.  

 

In other words, we can be reassured as we endure trials that our body, soul and spirit are mirroring the suffering, betrayal and even death of Jesus, Who endured all these for our sake, that we may experience eternal life through Him.

In troubling situations, we need not fear, for He is with us, He is our God, and He will strengthen us. God is all-powerful (Revelation 4:8), and we cannot even take our next breath unless He wills it (John 15:5), yet His strength is made perfect in our weakness. When we are weak, we are therefore strong, giving us reason to glory in our frailties and afflictions, for He will be glorified by empowering us (2 Corinthians 12:9).

But He does not strengthen us so that we can go it alone, for He promises to help us! It reminds me of an experience I had during my second week as a medical intern. Exhausted, sleep-deprived, and challenged beyond my abilities, knowledge and experience at that time, I was in the last hours of night call when two critically ill patients were admitted to my service and two others developed life-threatening emergencies.

I knew I couldn’t begin to handle these challenges on my own and felt overwhelmed and ready to give up, when suddenly the chief resident appeared. Normally the chief resident on call, who was responsible for all the medical wards, would merely stop by to offer a few quick words of advice, but this extremely knowledgeable, capable, and experienced physician stayed with me until all the problems were under control, not only giving counsel but pitching in with blood drawing, spinal taps and other needed procedures.

And he did it all with kindness, compassion, and grace, never once making me feel inadequate or lording his authority over me, actually taking the time for some encouraging words and even a cup of coffee! So if my spirits could be lifted immensely by the help of one in authority, how can I not be encouraged by the help of God Almighty, Who has all power, resources (Psalm 50:10) and wisdom (Psalm 139:6) to achieve the best outcome? 

He loves me infinitely (1 John 4:8; John 3:16) and will provide for my needs before I even ask Him (Matthew 6:8).

Not only does God promise to strengthen and help His children, but He has promised to uphold us! Others may criticize, attack and condemn us, but God will uphold us with the right hand of His righteousness! Although I have sinned, and some of the trials I face may be consequences of or chastisement for my sins (Hebrews 12:5-9), God no longer remembers or sees my sin (Psalm 103:12). Instead, He sees me as clothed in the robe of righteousness imparted by His Son (Isaiah 61:10), Who knew no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21).

The morning after the night on call described above, the attending physician questioned medical decisions I had made and possible errors of omission. To my surprise and gratitude, the chief resident who had rescued me and the patients under my care took full responsibility for all that had been done and left undone, even though he could have easily and justifiably blamed me.

On a much grander scale, Jesus Christ, Son of God, the sacrificial Lamb (John 1:29) Who knew no sin, took upon Himself the burden of all our sins, past, present and future, and paid for those sins with every drop of His shed blood, so that sinful man could be reconciled to Holy God (Romans 3:25). Now we can stand without shame In God’s holy presence, for He Himself upholds us with the right hand of His righteousness!

Praise God that we have no reason for fear or dismay, for our Savior is with us and strengthens, helps, and upholds us with the right hand of His righteousness! 

© 2018 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives 

Prayer in the Storm

 

I am posting this several days earlier than usual, as we could lose power and Internet at any moment because of Hurricane Ian, and it is unclear when it could be restored, once lost. Below is a repost from 2017, written as Hurricane Irma approached.  Praise God for His faithfulness in prior storms, and I pray for His protection now over our loved ones and all those in Ian's path. Praise God that Jesus is our rock, our refuge, our strength!

Dear Lord,

You are the Shepherd of the seas (1 Peter 5:4), Master of the winds (Luke 8:24), our Rock, Tower, and Refuge (2 Samuel 22:3; Psalm 18:2). Nothing is too hard for You. You spoke the universe into existence (Genesis 1); You parted the Red Sea (Isaiah 63:11); You made the sun stand still to protect Your people (Joshua 10:12). 

We beg You, Abba Father, to restrain this storm from harming Your children and those who one day will become Your children. May the power of this storm draw all to recognize You as Lord and Savior and lead them to trust in Your death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6).

Your arm is not too short to help us, and You have promised never to leave nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). You made us; You carry us; and You will deliver us (Isaiah 46:4).

When Abraham pleaded with You to spare his city, You told him that you would spare it if there were even a single righteous person within (Genesis 18). We know that all have sinned and fallen short of Your glory (Romans 3:23), and that there is none righteous based on their own merit (Isaiah 41:26; Romans 3:10). 

Yet Your children are clothed in the perfect righteousness of Your Son (Isaiah 61:10). We claim His precious blood to wash away our sins, make us righteous in Your sight, and thereby allow us into Your ark of perfect peace and safety (Romans 3:25; Genesis 5-10).

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.

Before You left this earth You spoke of roaring and perplexity in the seas (Luke 21:25) as a sign of Your imminent return, along with so many other signs of the times that are now coming to pass (Matthew 24). 

May You give us the courage, hope and boldness to look up, for our redemption draws nearer with each passing day (Luke 21:28). May we keep our eyes fixed on You, the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), Who can empower us even to walk on water if we follow You in childlike faith (Matthew 14:29).

Father, we pray for safety for our lives, those of our families, loved ones, church families, workplaces, schools, and communities. We pray Your hand of protection over our homes, sanctuaries, businesses, properties. 

Yet we trust You to work all things together for our ultimate good and Your glory (Romans 8:28), according to Your perfect wisdom and Your will. We may not understand Your actions, but we yield to Your perfect will (Luke 22:42), for You are our Cup and Portion (Psalm 16:5), and You are All we need.

Lord, give us wisdom, guidance, and the peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7). May we be Your light in this storm and in all the storms of life, and help others, show them Your love, and encourage them to trust You. Please show us Your mercy, love and grace in this storm and always.

In Jesus’ precious Name,

Amen. 

© 2017 Laurie Collett

 Reposted from the archives 

 

The Best Seat

 

Photo by scarletgreen 2007

 

 

 

News of the seating arrangements for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral caused quite an online stir. Some were miffed that US President Biden was seated in the 14^th row, far from the royal family, directly behind the current president of Poland, and five rows from the back of Westminster Abbey.

Former President Trump seized on the opportunity to mock President Biden, saying that if he were still president, he would be seated in the front row, for America would still command respect.

But it turns out that the seating plan was not a political statement or a reflection of respect (or lack of it) for various countries and their leaders. It was merely specified by protocol that the royal family had the best seats, followed by monarchs, UK leaders and officials, Commonwealth leaders and officials, and finally, other world leaders and foreign dignitaries. Much ado about nothing!

Jesus warned about taking the best seats (in the highest rooms) when invited to a wedding or other formal function, for we should respect others ahead of ourselves. If we choose the best seats, we may be embarrassed if the host asks us to move to make room for a more honored guest. But if we voluntarily sit in the worse seats, we may be pleasantly surprised if the host invites us to sit closer to his table (Luke 14:7-11).

Jesus also exposed the hypocrisy and self-promotion of the scribes and Pharisees who chose the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, wanting admiration from others without helping or serving them.

Yet anyone in a position of Christian leadership should have a servant’s heart and put the needs of others above their own (Philippians 2:5-9). If we humble ourselves, Christ will lift us up, but if we promote ourselves, Christ will humble us (Matthew 23:1-12). The Virgin Mary sang the Magnificat to praise God, for “He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree (Luke 1:52).”

Jesus even went so far as to say that the Pharisees choosing the best seats would receive the greater damnation (Mark 12:38-40; Luke 20:46-47). The worst such offense was when Lucifer, the most glorious anointed cherub created by God to lead worship to Him, rebelled because of pride and wanted to exalt himself above God, even to sit in God’s seat, which led to his ultimate downfall and destruction (Ezekiel 28:1-19).

At school lunch, where you sat sometimes spoke volumes about your social standing. The popular girls flocked to the same table, and if anyone outside the clique dared ventured near, she would soon regret it, as she would become the object of their ridicule. The trouble makers also banded together, and if you sat there, you would likely come under scrutiny by teachers and staff – guilty by association.

The book of Psalms begins with advice to avoid such situations, and to be blessed in return:

Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

In the theatre, you can sometimes purchase the best seats, with the closest and least obstructed views of the stage, at a higher cost. Often these are available only to patrons of the arts or those in prominent families who have inherited season passes left as a legacy from generation to generation.

But this is ironic, for actors, singers and dancers are trained to aim their performances at the “nosebleed” section in the highest balcony, amplifying their voices, gestures, expressions, and even makeup to be visible and experienced optimally by those at the furthest distance.

Patrons in the box seats may be able to see clear into the wings on the side of the stage furthest from them, which may interfere with the illusion of reality the production is attempting to create, and yet they may miss action near the wings closest to them and see center stage action in profile. The most ostentatious and expensive seats are not always the most ideal, if we truly want to see rather than to be seen.

So what is the best seat? For those who are saved by trusting in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6), the best seat is the one where He has seated us, for being in His perfect will is the best place to be. That way, we need not fear meeting Him at the Judgment Seat for believers (Romans 14:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10), where He will judge and reward us, if appropriate, for our actions once we are saved (1 Corinthians 3:10-15).

Far better to face Him there than at the Great White Throne Judgment, where those who rejected Him will be given punishments appropriate to their misdeeds, and ultimately thrown into the lake of fire for all eternity (Revelation 20:11-15).

Jehovah God spoke to Moses from the mercy seat upon the ark of testimony (Numbers 7:89). Until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again, we can rest assured that He is seated at the right hand of the Father (Mark 12:36), where He continually intercedes for us!  (Romans 8:34)  

© 2022 Laurie Collett