0:00 The average person has about sixty thousand thoughts a day.0:04 In our last time together, we spoke about finding stillness in the middle of all that noise, using the words of Psalm forty-six.0:14 Today, I want to offer a word not just of stillness, but of strength for the journey.0:21 It comes from the prophet Isaiah, chapter forty-one, verse ten.0:26 So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.0:32 I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.0:38 There is so much packed into that short promise.0:42 It’s a verse many of us have heard before.0:46 But let’s sit with it for a moment this morning, before the day rushes in.0:51 Notice the first part of the promise.0:54 It isn’t just a command to stop being afraid.0:58 It’s a reason.0:59 “Do not fear, for I am with you.” The antidote to fear is not willpower.1:05 It’s not just gritting your teeth and pushing through.1:09 The antidote to fear is presence.1:12 It’s the quiet, certain knowledge that you are not alone.1:16 Here's what that means for your day.1:19 When you walk into that meeting you’ve been dreading… you are not alone.1:25 When you have that difficult conversation with a family member… you are not alone.1:31 When you’re just sitting in your car, feeling the weight of it all… you are NOT alone.1:38 The promise is that God’s presence is a constant companion.1:43 It doesn’t remove the challenge, but it completely changes how you face it.1:49 You’re walking with someone, not just by yourself.1:53 Then it says, “do not be dismayed, for I am your God.” Dismay is a powerful word.1:59 It’s that sinking feeling in your gut when the bad news lands.2:04 It’s the feeling of being utterly overwhelmed, where you can’t see a way forward.2:10 And the reason we don't have to live in that space?2:14 “For I am your God.” This is about identity.2:18 It’s a reminder of who is in charge.2:21 It’s a reminder that your circumstances do not have the final say.2:26 Your God does.2:27 That knowledge is an anchor.2:29 When the waves of the day start to crash, it holds you fast.2:34 Then the promise shifts from presence to action.2:38 This is the part I want you to carry with you today.2:42 It’s a three-fold promise of help.2:45 “I will strengthen you… and help you… I will uphold you.” These are three different things.2:52 And you might need one more than the others today.2:56 First, “I will strengthen you.” This is about internal fortitude.3:01 This is for the day when you feel weak, when your own resolve is gone.3:07 It’s a promise that a strength beyond your own will be poured into you.3:12 It’s not about you mustering up courage.3:15 It’s about receiving it.3:17 Second, “and help you.” This is practical.3:21 This is external.3:22 This is for the task that feels too big.3:25 The problem that seems unsolvable.3:28 It’s the promise of a divine partner in the work of your day.3:33 You don’t have to figure it all out on your own.3:36 Help is available.3:38 And third, the one that gets me every time… “I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” This is for when you can’t even stand.3:48 When you’re past the point of needing strength or help, and you just feel like you’re falling.3:56 To uphold something is to carry its weight.3:59 This is the promise that when you have nothing left, a steady, powerful, and GOOD hand is holding you up.4:08 You can’t fall.4:09 You are being held.4:10 The world will offer you a thousand reasons to be anxious today.4:15 A thousand reasons to feel small and overwhelmed and alone.4:20 But you have this one promise that outweighs them all.4:24 You are not just told to be brave; you are told you have a companion.4:30 You are not just told to be strong; you are given strength.4:34 And when you can’t be strong, you don’t have to be.4:38 You are held.
