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The Antidote for Anxiety and Depression: Trust in Abba Father’s Care – Pt 14

Do not Fear and Be Discouraged, Jehovah Shammah Holds Your Life!

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

– Isaiah 41:10

I grew up in a large extended family but I was always different in my personality, therefore, I felt like I didn’t belong. I felt like an alien in my family. I felt alone and abandoned, like there was no place for me in this world. Therefore, I isolated myself most of the times. I was an introvert, very quiet and reserved, and many persons thought I was “fresh”, “snobbish”. What they did not know was that my soul was so wounded because of the childhood traumas I experienced that I was so insecure and had such low self-esteem, hence I was afraid to communicate with others. I feared being rejected. I had so many fears as I mentioned in a previous devotional, and I felt so alone. It stands to reason why when I was diagnosed with anxiety disorder and major depression, I was told that I had been depressed from a child.  

Isaiah 41:10 says “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”.

Why shouldn’t you fear? You shouldn’t be afraid because God is with you. You are not alone. You are not neglected. God promises that He will never leave you nor forsake you so He encourages you to be strong and courageous, and not to be afraid (Deuteronomy 31:6). He also promises to be with you always, even unto the end of the world (Matthew 28:20). He is your Jehovah Shammah – The Ever Present God.

Why shouldn’t you be dismayed or discouraged? Because Jehovah Shammah is your God. He is the omnipresent God. You can call on Him at any time.

His promise to you in Isaiah 41:10 is threefold:

  1. Surely, I will strengthen thee – Your source of strength is your Ever Present God. Your Jehovah Shammah. He is your refuge and strength (Psalm 46:1). He is also the strength of your heart (Psalm 73:26). Therefore, you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength (Philippians 4:13). “… For the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).
  2. Surly, I will help thee – Your help comes from the Lord (Psalm 121:2-4). He is a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). He is your portion or your helping for ever (Psalm 73:26). No one else can help you like your Heavenly Father can. He has the answer to all of your questions. There isn’t anything in life that you encounter that He is not acquainted with. Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet he did not sin”.
  3. Surly, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness – In your times of weakness, Jehovah Shammah holds you up with His right hand of righteousness. Friends He is your righteousness. Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him”. He will not let you fall. You are secure and safe in His righteous right hand.

My dearly beloved, maybe you have similar experiences with fear, anxiety and depression like mine, or maybe your experiences are different. It doesn’t matter what your situation is, today I would like to remind you not to fear and be discouraged because your Jehovah Shammah is always there with you, in the good times and in the bad times. He holds your life in His righteous right hand, there in His mature, complete, perfect love because He cares for you.

Shalom!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father You are my Jehovah Shammah and I worship and adore You. Thank you for always being with me. Oh how I love You presence. Thank You for surly strengthening me, helping me and upholding me with the right hand of Your righteousness. It is my prayer today, “That You would grant me, according to the riches of Your glory, to be strengthened with might by Your Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16). I declare today that my God, Jehovah Shammah is always with me and He keeps me in all my ways. Therefore, I will be at peace. I pray this by faith in Jesus’ name. Amen!