Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV)
Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
Bible Commentary
Isaiah 41:10 is a popular Bible verse from the Old Testament where God promises to strengthen and help us in times of difficulty. Before the promise comes two instructions, Fear not and Be not dismayed. God gives us the reason why we shouldn’t be afraid or dismayed—because He is with us and because He is our God.
Though it only has 4 letters, fear is a very big word. It carries with it pain and torment of the mind and emotions. God did not intend for us to be burdened with fear.
1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”
Being made perfect in love occurs as we walk with Christ. To overcome our fear sometimes we have to face it. It is then we know that Christ is with us through it, and we can live more confidently, knowing He helped us through the fear.
The word “dismayed” is a bit different, meaning: to inspect, consider, bewildered. God is warning us not to over-analyze situations or be confused. God is not the author of confusion but of peace. (1 Corinthians 14:33) We are in control of our thoughts, and we must be careful not to follow a path of confusion.
Notice in the first part of Isaiah 41:10 the reason we are not to be dismayed is because He is our God—not something else or someone else. If we have surrendered to God and asked Christ to be Lord of our lives, we can be confident because He is our covering—our protection. Nothing else will do.
Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
Unlocking the Truth – Rest Easy
The word “strengthen” in Hebrew means: to be alert, physically or mentally; be courageous; establish, fortify, increase, prevail, make strong. When God gives a gift, it is so much grander than what we thought and far better than what we could imagine. He thinks so much bigger than we do. He delights in lavishing His chosen people with wonderful gifts, and He delights when we appreciate those gifts and praise Him with thanksgiving.
He not only promises to strengthen us, but to help us. “Help” in Hebrew means: to surround, protect or aid. Again, God’s gifts are more than thorough in their meaning and in their execution.
He doesn’t just come alongside us and hold our hand, but He surrounds us. We can imagine a fort around us with God’s heavenly angels guarding the inside and outside. Nothing can penetrate it. Not only that, but in the last line of Isaiah 41:10 God says, “I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
“Uphold” means to maintain, or to obtain or keep fast. God won’t drop us. It might feel like we’re falling sometimes, but He’s got us. We might feel upside down and 10 feet under sometimes, but we’re still in His hand. Not only does He promise to uphold us, but He upholds us with His righteous right hand. The right hand is usually considered the strongest or most dominant hand.
“Righteous” in Hebrew means: the right (natural, moral or legal), equity or prosperity, justice. There are so many ways He wants to vindicate His people and the Name of His Son, restoring the wrongs that have been done, righting the injustices and prospering His servants—in the spiritual realm and in the natural.
We can rest easy, knowing that God takes care of everything. Study the Bible verse of Isaiah 41:10 and know God the Father is taking care of it, even now.
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