“So do not fear, for I am with you.

Do not be dismayed for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you.

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

This is a verse that I have truly walked with almost my whole life. I can remember being around 8 years old and getting my Bible study lesson sheet for the week. I eagerly looked at the memorization verse for the week and saw this one. Now to me then, it was just another week that I could earn a sticker to put in my Bible. However, ironically enough this is the one Bible verse that I have remembered through all this time. I always just thought that to be coincidence. However, the more time passes, the more I realize this isn’t the case. This is a specific verse that the Lord has been speaking over me for years, I just hadn’t realized it.

A couple of days ago I was reading Romans 7. As I read I usually study through with a commentary called “enduring word.” While I was reading through the author wrote the questions “are you operating out of fear? Or out of love?” I read that statement and just sat. Of course my flesh wants to go “I obviously operate out of love.” However, the longer I sat, the more I realized that it can be my tendency to act of fear. Fear of disappointing people, even God Himself. Fear of making a wrong decision. Fear of failure. Fear of being fearful. Even more, the Lord is revealing to me is that I can be really good at masking this as love. Over the past few days I have just found myself before Him speaking freely. Speaking the fear aloud, because when we speak things into the light, darkness has no hold. And as I did this I felt Him bringing Isaiah 41:10 back to my mind. What I’m learning and have been, is that God doesn’t expect us to be fearless on our own. I think I often misunderstand this. I think “okay God I’m going to muster up my courage” when that isn’t what He speaks. He speaks “don’t fear, for I AM WITH you.” We don’t have to stand in fear because God is with us, not because there isn’t anything to fear.

I am writing this in a much different state than I normally do. Usually when I write my blogs, I’ve figured things out and have “solutions.” However, I write this now in the midst of learning. We are continually being shaped by Him. Learning to operate out of His love, it is a journey the Lord is bringing me through now. So I hope to whoever is reading this, if God is walking you through something right now, it’s going to be so worth it. Follow His lead, walk in His footsteps, seek His face, and He will reveal to you what He is teaching.