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| “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 |
For some of us, it is very easy to become discouraged. I first noticed this many years ago, back in the late 1970s.
My father had always been a very strong and decisive man. His experience as a member of the United States Marine Corps seemed to have cemented his naturally assured personality. But, toward the end of his life—he died in 1981 at the age of 74—he became more hesitant and even a little fearful. I particularly remember how he reacted when his car broke down while he was visiting with us in Connecticut. He was so nervous about what had happened that he was unable to sign the check to pay for the repairs.
I have certainly come to understand how the circumstances of life can affect one’s confidence. Over the course of the last 19 years, as I have struggled with health issues, I have become more and more fearful. Much of the confidence that I once had seems to have slowly ebbed away. Having spent most of my life completely unconcerned about my health, I have now become far too much of a hypochondriac. I find myself worrying about even the simplest things related to my health.
It disturbs me that I feel this way. In fact, I find my own loss of confidence greatly irritating and annoying. Even with a very strong faith—I know God’s plan for me is unfolding in the way that He wants it to unfold—I am still anxious and often quite discouraged with seemingly unimportant matters.
You may not have yet begun to feel as I do. In fact, you may never reach the point that I have come to in your own life. I hope that is the case for you. But, for those of us who are struggling with a loss of confidence, perhaps these words from God, recorded in Isaiah 41:10, will help:
[The Lord says] “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.”
Let’s seize this new day with the confidence that comes from knowing God has chosen us to belong to Him. He is certainly on our side. He is our help and our strength. What more do we really need?
