Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”.

He tells us not to be afraid. Why? because he is with us. He tells us not be dismayed. Why? because he is our God. How can we do this? He strengthen us and helps us. He upholds us with his righteous right hand. God protects us. He helps us. He gives us strength. When we are afraid, we find that he is with us. God’s righteous right hand upholds us even though we can’t see it. Truly, this is utterly amazing!

God assures us that he is with us. He assures us that we don’t need to be afraid for he is with us. We may feel all alone but he promises that he is always with us. We may wonder about this for our faith is small. But he promises that he is with us and will always be with us. Right now, while I’m trying to put my thoughts in a manageable manner, he promises me that he is with me. Amazing.

I joined a familiar group of ladies for a bible study this week. The women had joy. Their joy pumped me up. The lesson never mentioned joy, but the joy went from person to person. It was a beautiful thing. God gives the women joy. The joy went from one person to the another and back again and again. They were happy to share together. Their joy encouraged me.

But it’s not easy for them. One woman can barely hear but she is joyful. Another woman has to use a walker but she is joyful. The host, a woman in her eighties, is a happy camper. Why? You guessed it, because of the Lord. She loves him. He makes a difference to her. He helps her. God is taking care of her, and she knows it. That’s a good reason for her to praise him. I’m so encouraged when people choose to thank God for his provision rather than complain about what is going wrong in their lives.

The lady I just told you about has lost three of her four children. Her husband passed-on a few years ago. Her circumstances seem sort of rough. She could complain but she realizes God is in control, and she wouldn’t want to complain about what he has done for her. God is her destiny. God is her truth. God keeps her and helps her. Her remaining son lives a few blocks away, which is a real blessing. We partook of the bible study, but for me, I was uplifted by the care of the women sharing their faith with each other.

Sometimes I get discouraged. Life pulls me down. But the joy of the Lord is my strength, a very present help in times of trouble. Let’s let our light shine. Let’s help others. Let’s stand up and be counted. I want to praise God, for he is worthy of my praise. God is real. He keeps us. He feeds us. He’s worth shouting about! He loves you, He loves me. If we could really get a grasp of his love, we would be satisfied in a pure and blessed way.