This week in Crisis Counsels we are looking at the following verse in the book of the prophet Isaiah:

Fear not, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
Isaiah 41:10

After the first phrase – “Fear not, for I am with you”— the verse continues with a phrase that sounds very similar: “Do not be afraid, for I am your God.” This is an example of the “parallelism” that is a prominent feature of Hebrew poetry. An idea is repeated, in a slightly different way, in order to add emphasis. The idea expressed here particularly needs emphasis, because we have a hard time with it! We often struggle with fears, even though God’s Word is telling us to fear not. “Do not be afraid,” it says, “for I am your God.” Perhaps the issue here is that we humans so often have the wrong gods in life. We trust in worldly things which we know cannot finally sustain us. As long as we are on such unstable ground, we cannot escape fear. But the Scripture says, “I am your God.” The God of the universe is with us, ready to uphold us in life. When we place our reliance upon God, we no longer need be afraid.

Prayer – We acclaim You, O God, as the foundation of our life. Share on X

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About the Author

Dr. David A. Palmer has been the senior pastor at the United Methodist Church of Kent since 1995. He has a B.A. from Wittenberg University, a Master of Divinity from Duke University, and a Doctor of Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary. A native of Wooster, Ohio, he has served three other churches in east Ohio before coming to Kent. He and his wife, Mavis, have three children.