Anxiety can be defined as “unbelief in God’s future-grace” (John Piper). Though a hard definition it does address the thorny issue of the future. I was a young child when anxiety became an oft felt reality. And, as a child, already sensitive to God in my life I was wrestling with believing Him for each of the many fears I had, which, if you follow their trail, leads to the unknowns of the future.
My mother recited a verse that imprinted on my memory as a child. Sleep wouldn’t always come easy. I had a headache or I dreaded a nightmare or something else was weighing on me. She gave me Isaiah 41:10. So many of us know that verse. But now I revisit this verse. This time I will stir up my faith in every single word it says. And whatever unbelief lingers I can pray “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24).
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.
Though I learned it in one version, and it brought great comfort, sometimes another version can be revealing.
‘Do not fear, for I am with you Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
Do you see the word “anxiously”? How many of us face the beast of anxiety? That’s what it is – a beast. It grows larger with little encouragement and it can feel like it will swallow you whole. This verse is for anxiety.
With a bit of digging (I like that word – we dig when we want to turn over soil, build a foundation or search for treasure!) into the Hebrew we can reveal greater truths. Let’s start at the beginning of the verse:
The word “fear” in Hebrew is yare which means affright, to alarm or frighten. Many of you know exactly what that it is. It can be for a very good reason. If this is a way of life, our flight response is in overdrive and there seems to be no reasoning with it when it is ignited and takes over the body and occupies the mind so thoroughly. In fact, prayer can be hard to formulate.
The Hebrew word for “dismay” is revealing. It is the word shaah which means to gaze or regard. The NASB version says “Do not anxiously look about you”. When fear steps in it is because we are gazing at our circumstances, wondering what is coming next. If it is a way of life that’s what we do all the time – we gaze about us and all we see are what’s happening in the world, in our family, in our body. It looks real and feels real. It may be real. And the Lord calls us to pull our eyes from the anxious thing and firmly place it on Jesus! Why? For I am your God!
Let me repeat: For I am your God. Your Elohim. This Hebrew word is in its plural form. The name Elohim implies the communion of the Trinity, of Father, Son and Holy Spirit! Let it sink in: Elohim is Abba-Daddy, the one whose lap I can sit in. He is my Saviour and Healer, Jesus. He’s the Lover of my soul. He’s my inside God, His Spirit, is fully inside me, already there as a seal on my heart! And this God promises so much in face of my dismay. Look at the verse. He is with me. He will strengthen, help and uphold me. It is definite and sure. His word is His word. (Numbers 23:19)
Let’s turn to the word with – im. A small word which means with or accompany. Though obvious in meaning that word im is from the word aman which means to cover, veil, conceal. This suggests something wonderful about Elohim’s promise of “with-ed-ness”. Could it mean that His “with-id-ness” actually hides and conceals us? Could that hiding be for our help – so we don’t gaze about us? We see only Him. Only Him. Selah – pause and think on this.
Three more words that are promises for the anxious one.
Strengthen – amets which means to be stout, strong, bold, alert. So when our bodies reveals symptoms of anxiety and all we want to do is to run away or simply hide He makes me stout and strong. He will do it.
Help – azar means to help or to succor and can refer to protect or aid. Succor in the English dictionary means a specific help for one who is suffering. Anxiety is HARD and it needs a help in very specific ways. Our God knows and sees and has that specific help for that suffering.
Uphold – tamak in this verse means to support. There’s a loneliness in anxiety. It can be isolating and this idea of support suggests community. The Lord, as Elohim, WILL support and uphold us when those dark days (or weeks and months and even years) take over.
Speak truth to your heart and soul and mind! So, far, here is what God promises He will do. Speak it to your soul:
He promises to be with me so as to conceal and hide me. While I keep my eyes on Him , He makes me strong and bold. He is my protection and helps me in specific ways in my suffering while being my support.
Oh, anxious heart, praise Him! His Word is sure.
Finally, notice the end of this same verse in another version – KJV
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. (Italics added)
The right hand is seen as the “stronger” side or as the side of authority. There is authority coupled with His righteousness, or tsedeq, and in God’s ability to do the above “I will”s. The righteousness of God is seen in terms of a covenant-keeping God in redemption. This includes a whole package of justification, deliverance, victory, prosperity!
I pray you will find, as I have, that studying this verse and letting it marinate your heart and mind that will bring respite from the endless anxious ruts in your thought life. It brings the life and joy of His comfort, hope and faith. It’s a start.
