Breaking
News after second surgery in my right arm.
“Irrational
Fear”
The command “Not to fear” is not given in a vacuum, it’s given with the most
powerful reason under the Sun and that is the promise of God who said, “I am
with you.” Just in case the force of truth does not sink into your
mind, God for good measure adds the words “I am your God.” Remember
my friend, not any god but “Your God” who for you is the most precious possession.
Fear is real, so is God and he is greater than him who is in the world and he removes
any doubt and tenderly offers a promise to strengthen you and to help you.
There is no need to doubt because God knows of my needs and my need for help
and before I utter the word of request for his strength and help, he himself
equips us through this verse that he will strengthen us and help us.
No wonder why the apostle Paul says, "If God is with us, who can be
against us?"
Therefore, we must also ask ourselves the logical question as opposed to this
promise: “What about if God is not for us? Then, who could be for us?
This rhetorical question has an answer, the only answer is “no one” is there to
strengthen or help us.
There is no other God who is my God and there is no promise of him being with
us and that is what the gospel is all about. The gospel is Emmanuel. God with
us.
Jesus says, all power and authority has been given to me. Therefore, go into
the world and make disciples by baptizing and teaching them everything I taught
you. Behold I am with you always to the end of the ages.
You may doubt anything and everything in life but never doubt the words of him,
who in the garden, promised blessings galore and says to us today I am with you,
I’ll strengthen you, I will help you, and I’ll redeem you because I am Emmanuel
God with us.
Our father in heaven is a triune God who sent his son as Emanuel but his son a
chip off the old block and after the pattern of his own father he has given to
us the gift of the Holy Spirit as a helper. The Holy Spirit is a personal
helper to each of those who have believed and have received by faith the gift
of the Holy Spirit.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and son… Jesus the Son so loved
the world that he gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For God so loved the world that his Spirit dwells within us forever and ever.
All these things are from the right hand of the righteous God who is mindful of
our needs, our weakness, our sinfulness.
God knows our need for the righteous garment of Jesus.
The white garment that without which no one has access to the Father,
Fear not Little Lamb, God is with you. Let’s consider again this verse:
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will
strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right
hand.” Isaiah 41:10.
The beauty of this verse is that God seems to be fighting constantly against
the unforgivable sin which is unbelief. So in thousands of ways he comes to
lure us into the desert with kind words, generous promises of strength and his
very presence that like light casts away darkness and fear.
The promises of God are so generous that his punishment is equally severe
because to treat God as if he doesn’t keep his word is to call him a liar.
God is not a liar, God is truth, God is life. God is love. God is light.
Equipped with the wealth of this verse let’s go to the world boldly and show
them our lack of Fear. The lack of fear has a message within and that is
that “God is with us.” He is God and there is no other and he alone makes
himself visible to men in their weakness and their fears and their infirmities.
God makes himself perfect in our weakness. This was a fearful sick old
man. A man of sorrows acquainted with grief from whose life God has removed
fear by his precious presence.
BTW seeing Ruthie departing to heaven has had a side effect on me that removed
fear.
By God’s grace and humility I thank the Lord for removing fear from my life.
My problem is “aggravation” which like today I will have surgery for the
second time in my arm a very serious one. It’s not even the pain that bothers
me but the aggravation of being reduced to helplessness.
Gerry Gutierrez
PS. The surgery was fine and the Doctors are positive. Thank you
for your prayers. I am even dreaming of a vacation on a beach because a fellow
dialysis patient just came back from a vacation that the dialysis center set up
the trip for her including dialysis on the Big Island.
Picture is after surgery with my yellow socks from the operating
room. Out with Nathaniel to eat.
