HE WILL TAKE ME BY THE HAND . . .

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. 11  Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. 12  Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. 13  For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee."                         

Isaiah 41:10-13 (KJV) 

THREE EXHORTATIONS, AND 11 PROMISES . . . IN 4 VERSES OF SCRIPTURE.

THAT’S SIMPLY ASTOUNDING. AND WHILE ONE MUST RECOGNIZE THAT THESE PROMISES WERE MADE TO ISRAEL, THERE IS NOTHING IN THOSE VERSES THAT MAY NOT BE APPREHENDED BY THE NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVER. BECAUSE THE SAME GOD WHO SAID THESE WORDS TO HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE HAS PROMISED THE NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVER:

“LET YOUR CONVERSATION BE WITHOUT COVETOUSNESS; AND BE CONTENT WITH SUCH THINGS AS YE HAVE: FOR HE HATH SAID, I WILL NEVER LEAVE THEE, NOR FORSAKE THEE.”
HEBREWS 13:5

THERE’S NOTHING SPECIFICALLY PROMISED TO ISRAEL; NO LAND – SEED – BLESSING CLAUSES, NO ISRAEL/ GOD COVENANT LANGUAGE. WHEN GOD SHOWS UP, ALL OF THESE PROMISES COME ALONG WITH HIM.

AND IT’S SO WONDERFULLY PERSONAL! SO INTIMATE! GOD DOESN’T JUST DROP A BLESSING ON THE DOORSTEP . . . HE KNOCKS ON THE DOOR, COMES IN (CLOSING THE DOOR BEHIND HIM!) AND TAKES YOU BY THE HAND. THEN, AND ONLY THEN, DOES HE COMFORT US WITH HIS WORDS: THE TOUCH OF THE MASTER’S HAND ALWAYS PRECEDES HIS PROMISES AND EXHORTATIONS.

THE RIGHT HAND IS MY DOMINANT HAND; IF GOD HAS ME BY MY RIGHT HAND . . . THAT MEANS HE HAS COMPLETE CONTROL. I'M NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DEFEND MYSELF WITH MY RIGHT HAND; IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, WHERE MOST PEOPLE WERE RIGHT-HANDED, THIS WOULD MEAN THAT GOD IS HOLDING THEIR SWORD-HAND. THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ATTACK OR DEFEND THEMSELVES.

WHICH MEANS THAT ALL OF THE PROMISES MENTIONED, IF THEY ARE GOING TO BE BROUGHT TO PASS . . . . WELL, THAT MEANS THAT GOD IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE THEIR SHIELD AND DEFENDER.

WOW. WHAT A CONCEPT. . . .YOU MEAN ALL THAT STUFF ABOUT "TRUSTING GOD," AND "WALKING BY FAITH," HE MEANT THAT?

UHHHHHH . . . YUP!