Fearful or Dismayed?

August 30, 2014 “Fear not, for there is nothing to fear, for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes I will hold you up and retain you with My victorious right hand of rightness and justice.” (Isaiah 41:10 Amp.) I just had a complete shoulder replacement surgery which left me disabled to a large degree (because of the intense and reoccurring pain), and feeling very vulnerable. Thankfully this was in my left shoulder, and I am right handed, so I can still use my good arm and hand and am able and learning to use my left arm and hand without too much pain. Even in my pain and disability I am amazed at the wonder of God’s knowledge He reveals, in this case, to modern medicine. My entire old and diseased shoulder was taken out and a new, shiny titanium shoulder was put in. I was sewed up and am now healing nicely. One of my great-grandsons, who is nearly four, and after being explained to that my new shoulder was “metal,” prayed for me over the telephone, “Dear God, heal Gran Gran’s robot shoulder.” I know God heard his prayer! In all of this I have found that Jesus is enough. I don’t have to fear whatever the future may hold - any disastrous contingencies, either personally, family-wise, nationally, or even world-wide disasters. Just as He is enough now, He will be then in all my future! The promises in Isaiah 41:10 are effective today, tomorrow and forever, and “though heaven and earth may pass away, His Word (promises) will never pass away” – and they are for you and me! As I was reading this verse I was struck by the totality of life and all of its problems, but with God as the answer and enough today and forever, we don’t have to be afraid or dismayed. Let’s scrutinize the wonderful truths and promises in this one verse. “Fear not!” There is nothing to fear, for I Am with you.” Do you realize Who the “I AM” in this verse is? He is El Shaddai – “God Almighty, all sufficient,” He is El Elyon – “The God most high, King of kings, the Strongest strong One, the Maker of heaven and earth.” He is El Elyon – YHWY God - “strong, faithful, covenant keep God.” He is El Roi – “The God Who sees.” He is Jehovah LORD AND GOD – “The self-existent One Who reveals Himself in the redemptive names of deity.” Although we may not comprehend fully, if we embrace these truths our faith jumps to new heights and we can believe that whatever we face we do not have to fear, for this Almighty God Who lives within us is greater than any force, problem, or disaster we face in this world! So why fear, because this great I AM is with us, “He will never leave us nor forsake us” (Heb.13:5); and “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom.8:31). Next, we are cautioned to “not look around us in terror and be dismayed, for I AM your God.” You must remember that this great I AM is your God – He sees, He knows, and He is able and sufficient to meet your every need, whether spirit, soul or body! I AM doesn’t want you to be dismayed at the horrific happenings in your lives or around you, because I AM will “strengthen you (if you are weak in any way), I AM will help you (however you need help); I AM will hold you up and retain you with My victorious right hand of rightness and justice.” When troubles (like illness, surgery, money problems) make us fearful and dismayed, remember our verse, Isaiah 41:10, and live in peace and rest, knowing I AM is awake and watching and working. So why should we be fearful or dismayed? So “Casting the whole of all your care, all of your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully” (I Peter 5:7 Amp). Just rest in Him! http://lightfrommywindow.blogspot.com