Strengthen

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” .   Isaiah 41:10 

Strengthen – The Hebrew word is ames.  The verb is found 41 times in the Old Testament.  It can mean to make firm, to secure, to feel strong, to make oneself alert or to prove superior to.  It is often used as an expression of deliverance over enemies.  In Proverbs, it is used to exemplify the strength of the virtuous woman.  In Isaiah, the word is used not only to show that God is the true source of personal strength but also to satirize those who believe that they can deliver themselves from their own idolatry.  God’s promise is clear.  He tells us that our fears and anxieties are unnecessary when He is our God because it is not our own abilities that we rely upon.  God will deliver us by His right hand, not ours.  He promises the strength of His righteousness. 

Certainly our own delusions of right standing were merely disguises of our true sinfulness.  God promises that we will be supported through the security of His holiness.  There is only one way to get right inside.  That way is to stop thinking we can handle it.  When we finally some to the place of validating God’s point of view on our situation, we see that one of the strongest allies of our past lives was the belief that we were in control.  The new way cannot begin until we stop trying to live according to our own rules. 

God is telling us to stop being afraid to change.  He is going to make sure that His purpose for you comes to pass.  He is going to strengthen you.  You don’t have to do it on your own.  Let it go.  God is waiting to lift you up.

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