Declared Assurance
Lesson One • Amen
Devotion 3: Declared Assurance
Grant Grimes
“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
What is a promise? A promise is a declaration of assurance that someone will or will not do something. In Isaiah, God promises to strengthen and help us in a specific way. His first command is, “Do not fear,” directed at the Israelites. This reminds me of childhood when a teacher presented a problem without an immediate solution. Unlike those situations, God not only commands us to be courageous and fearless, but promises to empower us to do so. J.R.R. Tolkien once said, “It is not the strength of the body that counts, but the strength of the spirit.” Those who have accepted Jesus as Savior are promised a spirit of “power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7). God has assured His children that He will give them courage. By definition, He declares to all who believe in the Gospel that He will strengthen, help, and uphold us.
Isaiah speaks of the “righteous right hand” to emphasize God’s powerful support and assistance to the believer. Throughout Scripture, from the trials faced by the Israelites in Isaiah’s time to Paul writing to Timothy in the New Testament, the command, “Do not fear,” remains consistent. God’s promise has spanned over 700 years, demonstrating His enduring assurance.
In times of doubt and despair, the Lord reminds us that He is with us, giving us courage and carrying us when our own strength falters. When facing today’s challenges, remember that God is in complete control, no matter what. In our weakness and discouragement, He is made strong. God recognizes and wants us to seek His help; we cannot do life without Him. Like a father caring for his child’s needs, our Heavenly Father seeks to care for His children.
There are many times in life when fear paralyzes us. Just last year, we had to rush my father to the hospital, and fear gripped me at the moment. I had no control over the situation and could not see the outcome in the emergency room. I was not obeying God’s command to not be fearful. Many times in life, fear controls us because we cannot control our situations, and the damage this lack of faith causes is catastrophic. In these moments, we must remember God’s beautiful promise: the Lord will provide courage and uphold us. He will bring us to honor and glory beside Him on the right hand. It is a promise that not only gives us courage but elevates us to the highest place we can be.