We continue in our series Hope Found Here and this month we are focusing on Hope in the Companionship of God and each other. This morning I want us to consider together the hope we have in the presence, protection and provision of God.
Listen to these words of God recorded for us in Isaiah chapter 41, I have called you back from the ends of the earth, saying, ‘You are my servant.’ For I have chosen you and will not throw you away. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. For I hold you by your right hand—I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.’ (Isaiah 41:9,10,13)
The word translated here as afraid is the Hebrew word ???????? (tî·ra) which also means fear. We can read this verse as ‘Do not be afraid’ or as ‘do not fear’ but the meaning is the same, we have no need to fear or be afraid because God is always with us.
Both Deuteronomy 31:6 and Hebrews 13:5 remind us of the promise God will neither fail you nor abandon you; Never will God leave you; never will He forsake you. Every moment of every day God is with us so we should not fear or be afraid... Yet sometimes we seem to forget that God is with us,
sometimes we can be fearful, sometimes we can be afraid.
Does anyone know how many times the phrase “Fear not” or “Be not afraid” is found in the Bible? The phrase “Fear not” or “Be not afraid” is in the Bible 365 times - that is one reminder for every day of the year! When God says the same thing over and over again, it suggests we really need to listen to what He is saying to us. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.
God has given us this wonderful promise. Maybe each of us needs to trust His promise more than we do. Perhaps if we trusted God as we should, we would be less anxious, less troubled, less fearful, less afraid. Instead of worrying about things that happen to us, or worrying about things that might happen to us we need to remember God is our constant companion, God is always with us. God can strengthen us, help us, uphold us and bless us in every circumstance of life. God commands us to not be afraid, to not be fearful, He commands us to trust in Him.
The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 15:13, I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. God is our source of hope when we trust in Him, and Him alone, we can be filled with joy and peace.
Do you need to place more trust in the fact that God is for you, not against you? God cares for you and about you, God is always with you. Trust the truth of God’s presence of God, the truth of God’s power, the truth of God’s protection, and the truth of God’s provision for your life.
If you have repented from your sin and accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour then you have been adopted into a relationship with God,
adopted into the family of God, you are in a relationship with The One who loves you more than you could ever know, more than you could ever understand. You do not need to fear anything because you have a real relationship with the Creator, the omnipotent, omnipresent living God and He is with you and for. Your hope is not based on ifs, buts or maybes, your confident, certain hope is in God and His unbreakable covenant promises with you.
Do not fear because God is with you. When trouble comes He is with you, in the storm, He is with you, He is your solid foundation, He is your rock, He is your fortress, God is with you. God is never absent, God is never asleep, God is never unaware of what is happening, nothing takes God by surprise.
God is your constant companion, Jesus promised His presence with us in Matthew 28:20, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” When Satan tries to distract you with fear, fear not for Jesus is with you. The great “I Am” is with you. The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords is with you. We can live without fear because God is with us. Trust the promises of God. God has promised He will strengthen us. God has promised He will help us. God has promised He will uphold us.
Uphold means lift up, carry, support. Listen to the words of Psalm 145:13-14: “The Lord always keeps His promises; He is gracious in all He does. The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads.” God in His mercy and grace will carry you through, trust His promise to you.
2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us, God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. Is there an area of your life where you are feeling weak right now? Ask God to fill you with His strength, His peace, His power. Is there something happening in your life that is making you fearful? Ask God to help you be more aware of His companionship with you, ask God to help you sense His presence more.
In each of our lives, there will be times when we feel like we are on top of the mountain, but there will also be times when we feel like we are in the deepest, darkest valley. The truth is God is with us wherever we are. Listen to the words of King David from Psalm 139:7-12, I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night— but even in darkness, I cannot hide from you. To you, the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you. On the mountaintop, God is with you, in the valley God is with you, you can not hide from Him and He will never hide Himself from you.
The Apostle Paul said it well in Romans 8:38-39, I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Nothing will separate you from God, God is with you always, in every problem, in every trial, in bad times and good times, God is with you and God loves you. Remember Romans 8:28, God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. Do not fear, do not be afraid, God is with you. God is able to work all things together for good. God continues to pour out His love, His mercy and His grace upon you.
The truth is His grace is always sufficient for whatever we might face, every circumstance, every situation, every trial, every tribulation, His promise is His grace is sufficient for each and every one of us. The words of God to the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9 are also a promise to us, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”
The Apostle Paul knew the truth even though He might feel weak in his own abilities, God is always strong. God is always able. Paul knew that the thorn in his flesh that he had prayed three times God would remove was still present in his life. The truth is there are some prayers that God may answer in the way we want Him to answer, but God will always provide us with sufficient grace. Paul knew He could always depend on God to be with him. Paul knew God as his constant companion. Paul knew that Jesus has conquered the power of sin, the power of death. Paul knew he had been forgiven and set free in Christ.
If you are in Christ this morning, you have been forgiven, you have been saved, you have been assured of a place in Heaven because of Christ’s sacrifice for you on the cross. If you know Jesus as Lord and Saviour you can face the future without fear. God is with you, God is for you not against you.
God is strong, God is compassionate, God will help you, God is with you.
I suppose there is a question that needs to be addressed, if God cares for us if God is constantly with us, why does God allow trouble in our lives? I will let the Apostle Paul answer from 2 Corinthians chapter 1:3-4, All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.
Do you hear what Paul is saying? We experience trouble so that we can learn how to comfort others who experience problems.
We are meant to know how to be a comfort, a help, a blessing to other people. How can we do that? We point them to Christ, we point them to God.
We tell them who we have trusted to care for us. We tell them about the one who loves us with an unending love. We tell them there is a God who we are in a real relationship with who wants to be in a real relationship with them. We tell them the truth about Heaven and Hell. We tell them about Father God, who willingly sent His Son to die so that we could be forgiven. We tell them about Jesus, Lord, Saviour, Healer and Coming King. We tell them God can be their constant companion.
Don’t be fearful about telling other people about God. Listen to the words of the Apostle Peter from 1 Peter 3:14-16, But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.
Don’t be afraid to speak about His word or His will or His plan or His purpose. In Psalm 27:1-2, King David wrote, “The Lord is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?”
Don't live in fear, Let The Holy Spirit fill you with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.
The next time you feel fearful or anxious or afraid, know that you are not alone. Hope is found Here because God is your constant companion, trust in His promises, trust in His presence, His protection and His provision.
Don’t be afraid, for God is with you.
Don’t be afraid. God is here to help you.
AMEN
