PRAISE THE LORD (PART 3)

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

In that day you will say:

“I will praise You, Lord. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.”

Isaiah 12:1a-2a

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

“Do not be afraid.”

Four simple words spoken often by the Lord God Almighty in the scriptures. And yet, we as a people of God so often live as if we don’t hear Him, fearful of so many things that we face in this world. It’s time that we get back to basics and remember that we serve a God who is for us (Romans 8:31) and because of that truth, no one can stand against us. We need to proclaim be a people that Isaiah was speaking of when he said the following:

In that day you will say:

“I will praise You, Lord. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.”  Isaiah 12:1a-2a

Surely, God saves us, rescuing us from all the troubles we might encounter in life as He leads us to the place where we will abide with Him forever through His Son Christ Jesus. We need to live like we trust and believe that. We need to live unafraid.

We aren’t the only people who have needed to be reminded about the fact that God was always with them to help them through whatever they encountered. There are many, many people in the Bible who needed assurance just like we do today. Let’s look at the book of Genesis at three specific examples that support our central theme of standing fearless in life, trusting God’s ability to work things out whenever we face times of trouble:

1. Abraham.

After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:

“Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your Shield, your very great Reward.” Genesis

God had called Abram to leave his home in Ur of the Chaldeans and go to a land unknown to fulfill His purposes. Abram in return responded in faith but as we can see, it wasn’t easy. Abram needed God’s assurance that it was going to be fine because God was with him, his Shield and Protector, the One who would bless him for his faithfulness.

As we are called by God into things that may not seem clearly defined at the time, we need to step out in faith knowing He will never call us to do anything that will not result in His glory.

2. Hagar.

When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she began to sob.

God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”

Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

God was with the boy as he grew up. Genesis 21:15-20a

You’ll recall that Abraham and his wife Sarah were human and failed to be patient in waiting for the Lord to bring them a promised child. They chose to try and take matters into their own hands and Abraham produced a son with one of his servants Hagar. The boy’s name was Ishmael. Sarah treated Hagar badly and after she gave birth to the child God promised her and Abraham (Isaac), she had Hagar sent away with Ishmael into the wilderness to fend for themselves. Cast out, Hagar found herself distressed worried for her welfare and the welfare of her son but in that moment God intervened and provided for their needs. He rescued and delivered Hagar and Ishmael from their peril and never left them nor forsook them.

Sometimes, we can find ourselves seemingly cast aside, left to fend for ourselves when the odds of life seem stacked against us. It’s during these times, we need to remember the plight of Hagar and Ishmael and push away our fears because God hears our cries and is ever ready to save us from life’s circumstances, no matter how bleak things might look.

3. Jacob.

So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.

And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

“I am God, the God of your father,” He said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.”

Then Jacob left Beersheba, and Israel’s sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. Genesis 46:1-5

You’ll recall the story of Joseph. Resented by his brothers as bring his father Jacob’s favorite, he was given off into slavery and ended up in Egypt, ascending to the second highest position of power. God watched over him through some amazing trials but it was all for a marvelous purpose. For a drought had struck Canaan and Joseph’s entire family was at risk of starvation and so Joseph, after a reunion with his brothers that caused him to reveal his true identity, sent for his father and the entire family to relocate to Egypt where they might be able to survive. As Jacob (also referred to in the scriptures as Israel) received the call to come to Egypt, he needed this reassurance from God:

“I am God, the God of your father,” He said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.” Isaiah 46:3-4

Not only was Jacob and his family were going to be safe in Egypt but he (Jacob) was going to be reunited with his beloved son Joseph who he thought he would never see again. And indeed, that’s exactly what happened.

Life circumstances might change that scatter the puzzle pieces of our life around in a way that leads us to feel they will never come together again. But the truth of the matter is that God is the master Puzzle Solver, and has a way of putting all the pieces together in a miraculous way, in a way that makes a new and better picture from the one we started with. All we need to do is trust Him and not be afraid.

I could go on and on and on today with times in the Bible where God’s people are called to not be afraid. Perhaps as an extension of today’s study, you could look for other examples, examples like Moses, Joshua, Elijah, Daniel, Zechariah, Joseph and Mary, and Paul to name a few.

The point though is clear. In God, we have a blessed assurance in knowing that the One who can do all things, the One who through which nothing is impossible, is with us. He is with us, not passively moving but alive and active and vibrant. He is in action each and every day, changing and affecting the lives of the children He cherishes so much as their Father, children like you and me. And like any proper parent would do, He will go to all extremes to care and protect His children. He does not wish for us to be harmed or to perish outside of His will. He loves us. He cares for us. He has compassion for us. He holds the power to save us from any harm.

So what are we afraid of?

Won’t you praise the Lord today for His blessed assurances and in today’s case, reassurances?

For He is good all the time and always there for us when we need Him.

Thanks be to God for that.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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