FEAR NOT
Today’s Reading: Isaiah 41-42
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
Here you can see a rolling stone that crushes dates. It is located at Neot Kedumim, the Biblical Landscape Reserve in Israel, located between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. This place is a Biblical garden and nature reserve which attempts to re-create the physical setting of the Bible. The judgment of God, which nations bring upon themselves, is often likened in Scripture to the process of “threshing” or “winnowing” (Isaiah 41:15 & 16).
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verses: Isaiah 41:10
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.
God says “FEAR NOT” three times in Isaiah 41! Why not fear? Firstly, because God says, “I am with you”! (41:10). Secondly, because God says, “I will help you”! (41:13b). And thirdly, He says again, “I will help you”! God tries to get this message through to all people at all times throughout human history. God has a history of inspiring the recording of the fulfillment of the prophecies He has given through His Prophets and through the greatest of all Prophets, Jesus Christ. In 41:21-23 God challenges all the gods (so called) of the nations to prove the reality of their power by the test of prophecy and its fulfillment! The reality is stated in 41:24. He says to these gods, “You are nothing and your work is nothing.” Therefore, people of the true God, “Fear not”!!!
In Chapter 42 the “Servant” of the Lord is now clearly identified as a Person rather than a nation. The identity of this Person will become more and more evident as we continue our readings in Isaiah. Read the New Testament quotation of Isaiah 42:1-4 (see Matthew 12:17-21). Let’s read again Isaiah 42 with Jesus clearly in our minds, identifying those statements which Jesus fulfilled.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, as the writer to the Hebrews says in Hebrews 2:9a, “But we see Jesus!” May I “see Jesus” over and over again here in Isaiah’s writings! And may I “see” Him with perception, insight, and with 20/20 clarity of vision. As a result, I pray that I will comprehend more fully than ever Who Jesus really is in all His wonder, love and grace. In His Name I ask this. Amen!!!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
My “daughter-in-love,” Ron’s wife, Ann, checks over my punctuation, etc. before my blog is posted. One of her articles fits in beautifully with my blog from yesterday. I’ve asked her to put here just a portion of her story below. Thanks Ann!
Yours for “seeing” Jesus and “soaring” with Him,
David
“Called to Soar”
By Ann Mainse
(Excerpt from an aritcle in the January, 2014, Crossroads Compass magazine)
There’s a story of a traveler who came upon an eagle’s egg. He searched for the nest but found nowhere to return the egg. So the man did the next best thing. He put the eagle’s egg into a nest with chicken eggs. Eventually, the egg hatched and the eaglet fit right in with the other baby chicks. He clucked and scratched and pecked around and basically lived as a chicken for years. And then one day he saw a glorious sight. High up in the sky, with wings outstretched, was a magnificent bald eagle. Something stirred within him. Something called him to come up high.
“What’s that?” he asked a nearby chicken. “That is an eagle,” the chicken replied, “the king of the birds. He soars and flies and has unlimited freedom – something we will never have.” Upon hearing this, the chicken-eagle hung his head in sorrow and ignored the urge to join his brother high above the clouds. Sadly, he lived the rest of his life clucking and pecking and scratching. He never knew he could fly.
What a sad story. But what is sadder still is that for many of us, that is our story. We have the ability to fly, but we choose not to. How so, you ask? Consider this…
We are called to soar. We are offered the wings of eagles. It’s in the Bible. Really…
“Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles.” ~ Isaiah 40:31 (NLT)
In my opinion Mr. Mainse you have trusted in the Lord to find new strength and you are certainly soaring high on the wings of eagles and will continue to do so for a long time. PRAISE GOD! The Holy Spirit calls, gathers and enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith! Thank you for this daily blog!
Let us keep Mary Stewart in our prayers, in yesterday’s blog it sounded she may be back in the hospital! Prayers of thanksgiving for healing of all those who were ill and are recovering; I like today’s Scripture Isaiah 41!
thanks for that beautiful story Ann. Yes can do things but we don’t.
Irene
I agree with you Sah, Pastor David iis such an example to all of us
Yes, dear Mary Stewart needs our prayers. Precious Lord lift her up on wings of eagles. She is your child and is suffering right now . Guide the doctors with your eye as we join in prayer for her complete healing. We know that the prayers of a righteous man/woman availest much. In the name that is about all names we pray. Amen.
Thank you Ann for that story, so much truth in it.
Meant to say above all names. Sorry!!
Just a quick post, for now. Beautiful story, Ann. Here is a song to go with that scripture:
On Wings Like Eagles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5EE6g_a9gs
thank you Beverlee!
Thank you for the beautiful story Ann yes we all fly with the sacrifice our Lord made on the cross. The whole world should learn this reality.
Thank you Ann for the beautiful story , and I love the song Beverlee yes
Mary is in my prayers
Lianne Hogg
With respect to the blog this am, JESUS told us to LOOK UP, LIFT UP your heads, for your REDEMPTION (and healing and ALL GOOD THINGS ) draweth nigh! Heaven is upwards JESUS is upwards and in our hearts; everything JESUS promised us is in HIS WORD and attainable, so YES, WE CAN FLY HIGH ABOVE THE CARES OF THIS WORLD. Jim Reeves, years ago used to sing the song’THIS OLD WORLD IS NOT MY HOME, I’M JUST A TRAVELLIN THROUGH, MY TREASURES ARE LAID UP – SOMEWHERE BEYOND THE BLUE…. please go ahead & finish this song in your hearts. (my door bell is ringing….Rev. Terry F. FROM GRASSIE ON.
Good Friends,
I was recently challenged by a comment made by an ordained Minister. He suggested that there were probably three authors of the book of Isaiah since many of the events recorded in chapters 40 until the end occurred after Isaiah’s estimated date of death.
In addition, another ordained Minister agreed with the first, and suggested that the construction of the language in the original text changed significantly after chapter 39.
I personally prefer to believe that Isaiah was the one and only author of this prophetic book.
Has anyone else been challenged as to the number of authors who actually wrote this book?
Shalom,
Graham.
That theory is as old as the hills. There is only one writer of the book of Isaiah and that one author is Isaiah.
Those who came up with this theory, do not want to believe that certain events prophesied in Isaiah were really foretold. They just don’t want to believe that Isaiah could be so accurate. So they come up with this bizzar idea that there must have been more than one author. They do this by saying that there is a difference in the style of the writing, so that means that there were different writers. And therefore what each writer was really writing history not prophesy.
I would have thought that the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls would have put that theory to rest. There can be no denying that Isaiah 53 refers to Jesus’ passion and death as the suffering Messiah. The complete book of Isaiah was found in the Dead Sea Scrolls and it was the same book that we have in our Bibles today. Those Dead Sea Scolls certainly predate the passion and death of Jesus’ suffering.
Good News!
Thanks for the clarification.
Shalom,
Graham.
The key verse has been one of my favorites and God has used it in my life. Am continuing to remember you in prayer David and also Mary. Thanks for the song Beverlee. God bless you saints!
Enjoyed your writing too Ann,” Called to Soar”. We can learn a lot from the eagle, and good sermon text in Isaiah 40:31.
Thank you Ann Mainse for that beautiful story…sad, so often very true…but how wonderful when we receive the truth and soar on eagle’s wings up, up, into the throne room of the Lord God, where our help comes from!!!
Thank you Reynold Mainse for today’s descriptive picture!!
I pray Rev. David Mainse for total healing and the Peace, Joy and Love of the Lord Jesus Christ to fill you to overflowing with His Healing Anointing Power…Thank You Jesus You hear and answer prayer…that the Father be Glorified in You. Thank You for Your complete healing in David Mainse as he continues to minister You word to us, for Your Glory. Amen!!
Thank you Ann for that story. I feel challenged to soar right now. A big part of our lives concerns identity and Jesus was always speaking about the new identity that He has bought for us. When I look in the mirror atnd see my chicken neck it can be hard to remember sometimes.
Karen; I am sending you BIG BIG HUGS! We are beautiful from the inside out! Thank God He sees our beauty over all the ugliness in the world HE SEES OUR HEARTS! We are His creation! WE ARE BEAUTIFUL! NEVER EVER FORGET THAT GOD LOVES US FROM THE INSIDE OUT! Every man, woman and child are beautiful in the Lord! WHAT ELSE CAN WE SAY BUT PRAISE AND THANKS BE TO GOD! OUR REDEEMER, OUR CREATOR, OUR SAVIOUR, OUR FRIEND, OUR BROTHER, OUR LORD MOST HIGH!