For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, "Do not fear; I will help you."
- Isaiah 41:13
I need words.
But, I don’t need just any words. I need a "good word". I need true, unfailing promises. I need them in my mind, at the ready, when the battle comes at me. And, I need them every single day.
Because you see, I'm always talking to myself, always saying something in my mind. My guess is that you are too. Our minds never turn off, at least mine doesn’t. It’s a constant series of thoughts, imaginary conversations, and just plain old words. But, my words aren’t alway good or helpful. In fact, they're often quite the opposite. For instance, when I’m worried, my mind often fills itself up with every anxious scenario. When I’m scared, my words only accentuate and enumerate my fears. When I’m insecure, my words seem to only magnify my faults. It’s a battle people. And, I know that others wage this same thought war each and every daily.
For me, I fight this battle with promises. I fight words with words.
I’m sure it’s not the only way, but the Bible makes it clear that the Word of God is a sharp sword. It's a weapon against the lies that we might be tempted to believe. It speaks truth over us, truth we need not just as a soothing balm but as a weapon against the enemy.
So, when I feel insecure and unloveable, when I’m worried or afraid, I remember verses like the one we're learning. It tells me that the God who made me also loves me and calls me his. He tells me not to fear; he takes me by the hand and helps me. He's always with me, but when I speak these words, I truly feel his nearness in my spirit. I can speak his promises back to him knowing that he's listening to each and every word. I say to him, “[You] are the LORD, [my] God who takes hold of [my] right hand and says to [me], ‘Do not fear; I will help you.’”
When we keep God's word at the ready, we can meet our daily battles with confidence that God is right there with us defending us, helping us, and giving us strength.
Is there a particular verse that you've used to fight the daily thought battle?
Is there a verse you could commit to memory so you can have it "at the ready" for your current circumstance?
