Isaiah 41:10 (ESV)
10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
God is the Father of us all. What a wonderful truth. He is not the God of one group of people, to the exclusion of everyone else; He is the God of all people. Paul once asked the Jews, who felt like God was theirs alone, “…is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,” (Romans 3:29). The whole world belongs to God.
While this is true, God does sustain a personal relationship with His people, not just collectively, but individually. It is good for us to remember that God is the God of individuals. This is important because it reminds us that God is personally involved in our lives. It is sometimes hard to imagine, but this is a part of the greatness of God. He is omniscient and omnipresent so He can be personally involved in my life at the same time as yours. He loves us all and cares about our day-to-day activities. It is from this standpoint that Paul said, “But if anyone loves God, he is known by God” (1 Corinthians 8:3).
Do you love God? If so, do not ever forget that you are known by Him, not just as a part of a larger group of people, but as an individual person. When God says do not fear or be dismayed, He is speaking to you, not exclusively, but to you, nevertheless. God will strengthen and help you in your life. There are some conditions, however, even for the child of God.
If you want God’s help, you have to ask for it.
Hebrews 4:16 (ESV)
16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
How do we draw near to the throne of grace? We do it through the avenue of prayer. Do not think that God just owes us His providential care. He is not obligated to help us in times of need. Sometimes, He is waiting for us to demonstrate our faith and humility by asking for His help. James once said, “You do not have, because you do not ask” (James 4:2).
There is another condition to be met if we expect God to help, strengthen, and uphold us by His righteous right hand. We must be obedient to Him. Remember, Paul said that God knows those who love Him. Jesus reminds us of how we show that we really do love Him.
John 14:15 (ESV)
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
There could not be a more definitive statement than this. Jesus did not say we might, could, or should keep His commandments, He said we will, that is, if we love Him. The same is true of the Father. If I expect to be under the watchful eye of God, the least I can do is show Him the respect of faithfulness.
We should be glad that God is present in our lives. Let us show that we believe it by living according to His will, and asking Him for help when we need it.
As you wind down for the night, think about these things.