Sunday, January 13, 2008

What Do You Do On A Dreary Day?





Today has been a very dreary day without a lot to do. I usually use days like this to think about things that are important to me: God, family, and friends.

Today, I started thinking about one of my favorite Bible verses - Isaiah 41:10 - and how reassuring it is when I am feeling melancholy and fearful about my future. I own several versions of the Bible and enjoy reading the interpretations of the same verses in all of them. So, that's exactly what I did.

The King James Version of the Bible says:

"Fear thou not: for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness".


The New International Version of the Bible by the International Bible Society says:

"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".


The Message by Eugene H. Peterson says:

"Don't panic. I'm with you. There's no need to fear for I'm your God. I'll give you strength. I'll help you. I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you".


I studied the words in each of the versions and noticed that the words "fear" and "strength" appear in all three versions. I know that all people (including me) become afraid and worry unnecessarily about the future. That is the reason that this Bible verse is so important. I have God's promise that if I have faith and trust that He will take care of me, there is no reason to be afraid. God will give me the strength to face and deal with anything I have to. He will never let me down.

Isn't God's Love awesome? Isn't this a Great Promise? Don't we all need to remember Isaiah 41:10?






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