1 00:00:02,660 --> 00:00:13,790 Speaker 1: Life Audio Hello and thank you for listening to Your 2 00:00:13,850 --> 00:00:17,509 Speaker 1: Daily Bible Verse, the podcast that examines one verse each 3 00:00:17,590 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: day to learn more about God and His will for us. 4 00:00:21,540 --> 00:00:25,720 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Jessica VanRoekel, and after this short word 5 00:00:25,780 --> 00:00:30,250 Speaker 1: from our sponsor, we'll dive into today's Bible verse. Isaiah 6 00:00:30,310 --> 00:00:34,460 Speaker 1: chapter 41 verse 10. Today's Bible verse is Isaiah chapter 7 00:00:34,460 --> 00:00:36,559 Speaker 1: 41 verse 10. So do not fear for I am 8 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:44,060 Speaker 1: with you. Do not be dismayed for I am your God. 9 00:00:55,050 --> 00:00:58,290 Speaker 1: I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold 10 00:00:58,350 --> 00:01:01,970 Speaker 1: you with my righteous right hand. I want you to 11 00:01:02,010 --> 00:01:05,690 Speaker 1: picture driving across a bridge over a wide, deep river. 12 00:01:06,610 --> 00:01:09,140 Speaker 1: All you see is the road ahead as the bridge 13 00:01:09,260 --> 00:01:13,080 Speaker 1: starts to go up a steep incline before it starts 14 00:01:13,140 --> 00:01:16,319 Speaker 1: to go down. There's water on both sides and the 15 00:01:16,380 --> 00:01:19,819 Speaker 1: sky above with a really long drop between you and 16 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:23,240 Speaker 1: the deep water below. I've driven over a bridge just 17 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 1: like that. but I've ridden on a train over a 18 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:30,290 Speaker 1: large lake in a national park. There were no guardrails 19 00:01:30,390 --> 00:01:34,309 Speaker 1: like a bridge has, just the train tracks keeping the 20 00:01:34,370 --> 00:01:38,870 Speaker 1: train in place. I couldn't see the engineering, the steel beams, 21 00:01:38,970 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 1: or the concrete supports. All I saw was water and sky. 22 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 1: I simply needed to believe that the train tracks were there. 23 00:01:49,870 --> 00:01:52,970 Speaker 1: There are times when we face situations which make us 24 00:01:53,050 --> 00:01:56,450 Speaker 1: feel suspended over a steep drop or a deep lake. 25 00:01:57,210 --> 00:02:00,860 Speaker 1: We can't see how things will work out or, like 26 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 1: the bridge, we can't see the supports. This is a 27 00:02:04,980 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 1: great picture to remind us that security doesn't come from seeing. 28 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:13,940 Speaker 1: It comes from the One who promised to hold us. 29 00:02:15,180 --> 00:02:18,410 Speaker 1: Today's verse reminds us that We don't have to figure 30 00:02:18,610 --> 00:02:23,010 Speaker 1: everything out or even to understand why something has happened. 31 00:02:23,770 --> 00:02:28,690 Speaker 1: God invites us to trust Him to hold us up. 32 00:02:30,130 --> 00:02:35,049 Speaker 1: The context of Isaiah 41, verse 10 is encouragement for 33 00:02:35,070 --> 00:02:38,410 Speaker 1: the Israelites. You know, they seem to need it often 34 00:02:38,750 --> 00:02:42,750 Speaker 1: because of their struggle to remain in a faithful relationship 35 00:02:42,970 --> 00:02:49,139 Speaker 1: with the Lord. But... And because of the reconciliation that 36 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:53,910 Speaker 1: Jesus made possible, New Testament followers of Jesus Christ also 37 00:02:53,970 --> 00:02:58,149 Speaker 1: have become God's chosen servants and can receive the encouragement 38 00:02:58,610 --> 00:03:02,290 Speaker 1: we find in today's verse. And sometimes, I don't know 39 00:03:02,330 --> 00:03:06,940 Speaker 1: about you, but I struggle with being faithful to our God, 40 00:03:07,540 --> 00:03:11,179 Speaker 1: and I need the reminder that He is there to 41 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:15,520 Speaker 1: help hold us up. The first phrase in this verse is, 42 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:18,840 Speaker 1: Fear not, for I am with you. Fear is a 43 00:03:19,020 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 1: natural and beneficial feeling which arises in the presence of 44 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 1: anticipation or danger and moves us to avoid it, like 45 00:03:26,139 --> 00:03:29,060 Speaker 1: a hot stove or the edge of a cliff as 46 00:03:29,100 --> 00:03:33,860 Speaker 1: you're climbing up a mountain. God knows we will feel 47 00:03:34,100 --> 00:03:38,370 Speaker 1: fear and how we will react to it. When we're 48 00:03:38,450 --> 00:03:42,470 Speaker 1: faced with circumstances out of our control, like sickness or 49 00:03:42,590 --> 00:03:47,220 Speaker 1: illness or or just a struggle to grow in him. 50 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:52,380 Speaker 1: Instead of running away from him, God is inviting us 51 00:03:52,460 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 1: to remember that he is with us. You see, often 52 00:03:56,620 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 1: we feel alone when we face the things in life 53 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:03,840 Speaker 1: which cause us so much hurt, and this loneliness can 54 00:04:03,910 --> 00:04:08,170 Speaker 1: quickly turn to feelings of dismay. It's as if courage 55 00:04:08,230 --> 00:04:14,500 Speaker 1: vanishes and disillusionment sets in. But God reminds us that 56 00:04:14,580 --> 00:04:18,690 Speaker 1: He is ours. He says, I am your God. He 57 00:04:18,790 --> 00:04:25,850 Speaker 1: doesn't abandon or forsake. He remains with us. When fear 58 00:04:26,010 --> 00:04:29,690 Speaker 1: and dismay run rampant in a person's heart, strength fades, 59 00:04:29,730 --> 00:04:35,440 Speaker 1: but God says, I will help you. The International Standard 60 00:04:35,580 --> 00:04:39,580 Speaker 1: of Bible Encyclopedia tells us that true help is sought 61 00:04:40,180 --> 00:04:44,469 Speaker 1: for in Yahweh. The name God gave himself, which means 62 00:04:44,810 --> 00:04:48,410 Speaker 1: I am. You see, the one who believes in him 63 00:04:48,550 --> 00:04:51,890 Speaker 1: is exhorted to trust him and to not depend on 64 00:04:52,050 --> 00:05:03,890 Speaker 1: outside helps such as avoidance, addiction, shopping, working, refusing to rest. 65 00:05:03,910 --> 00:05:09,330 Speaker 1: We can trust him and depend on him for strength. 66 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:14,500 Speaker 1: Then today's verse ends with this phrase, I will uphold 67 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 1: you with my righteous right hand. This is a figurative idiom, 68 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 1: and it is the use of hand in the Old Testament. 69 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:27,190 Speaker 1: It's an idiom for God's supreme authority and almighty power. 70 00:05:27,550 --> 00:05:32,310 Speaker 1: You see, God's hand is able to uphold and guide us. 71 00:05:33,410 --> 00:05:36,830 Speaker 1: When people forget the greatness of God, they become dismayed. 72 00:05:37,250 --> 00:05:40,710 Speaker 1: Look at what happened with the Israelites. Look what happens 73 00:05:40,770 --> 00:05:44,800 Speaker 1: with us. Fear and discouragement can plague us when we 74 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:48,800 Speaker 1: are alone, but honestly, we are never alone because God 75 00:05:49,060 --> 00:05:54,279 Speaker 1: is with us. Forgetting, wallowing in dismay, and feeling weak 76 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:57,540 Speaker 1: can lead us to prop up idols in our lives, 77 00:05:58,260 --> 00:06:02,539 Speaker 1: but God holds us upright in all of our times 78 00:06:02,700 --> 00:06:07,550 Speaker 1: of need. When we function or respond to God in 79 00:06:07,730 --> 00:06:10,450 Speaker 1: fear and unbelief, what we're really saying to him is 80 00:06:10,510 --> 00:06:14,310 Speaker 1: that he's not with us. He's not the God of 81 00:06:14,350 --> 00:06:17,650 Speaker 1: glory and might and that he doesn't really love us. 82 00:06:18,980 --> 00:06:22,339 Speaker 1: But God chose us and he loves us so much. 83 00:06:22,420 --> 00:06:25,660 Speaker 1: When he says he is with us, it's a promise 84 00:06:25,779 --> 00:06:30,750 Speaker 1: we can take seriously. Romans 8, verse 31 says this, 85 00:06:31,050 --> 00:06:34,400 Speaker 1: if God is for us, who can be against us? 86 00:06:35,510 --> 00:06:39,549 Speaker 1: It might seem like we are all alone in our suffering, 87 00:06:40,250 --> 00:06:45,529 Speaker 1: but remember, God is with us. He gives us grace 88 00:06:45,589 --> 00:06:48,360 Speaker 1: when we need it. He gives us strength to face 89 00:06:48,690 --> 00:06:52,640 Speaker 1: all of life's circumstances. He helps us through times of 90 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:56,820 Speaker 1: crisis by giving us hope and peace. He provides for 91 00:06:56,960 --> 00:07:00,680 Speaker 1: our needs, and He strengthens us in our efforts to 92 00:07:00,740 --> 00:07:05,110 Speaker 1: fulfill His purpose for our lives today. If you are 93 00:07:05,310 --> 00:07:11,690 Speaker 1: experiencing pain and feel uncertain about life, remember God is 94 00:07:11,850 --> 00:07:17,650 Speaker 1: with you. He is your help. He can give you 95 00:07:17,730 --> 00:07:21,820 Speaker 1: the strength you need to take the next step. Lean 96 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:26,000 Speaker 1: on him today. He stands by you come what may. 97 00:07:26,580 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 1: Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you so much that you 98 00:07:30,020 --> 00:07:32,700 Speaker 1: remind us over and over and over again that you 99 00:07:32,940 --> 00:07:37,580 Speaker 1: are with us. You are God with us. Lord, we 100 00:07:37,620 --> 00:07:42,160 Speaker 1: need your help. We need your strength. You are our God. 101 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:45,980 Speaker 1: And God, we rely on you. We lean on you today. 102 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:49,990 Speaker 1: And we're going to praise your name. And we're going 103 00:07:50,010 --> 00:07:52,970 Speaker 1: to look to you for our strength and our support. 104 00:07:53,470 --> 00:07:55,130 Speaker 1: In Jesus' name, amen.