I Am With You

Transcript

Hello, my friend… so glad you're with me today. This is By God's Call — day 156, I Am With You.

Isaiah 41:10. Let this land: "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you."

Fear not. Be not dismayed. God did not open that verse with a demand — He opened it with an acknowledgment. He knows that fear knocks. He knows there are mornings when the weight of what's ahead is already sitting on your chest before your feet hit the floor. He knows there's a conversation you've been avoiding, a decision you can't seem to make, something in front of you that feels far too big. And God doesn't come to you and say, "Why are you afraid? What kind of faith is that?" No. He comes and says: "I am with you."

That changes everything.

Because the antidote to fear is not self-made courage. It is not talking yourself into feeling fine when you're not. The antidote is company. It is presence. When a child is afraid of the dark, what settles them is not a lecture — it's the father who walks in and says, "I'm here." Everything shifts. Not because the dark disappeared — but because they are no longer alone.

And notice what God says: not "a God," not "the God of the universe, somewhere up there" — He says "I am YOUR God." That is covenant. That is a known name. That is a Father's care. Not a distant, impersonal force — a person who knows you, who calls you by name, who chose you and who is standing with you today.

And it doesn't stop there. Because packed into this one verse are three promises stacked one on top of the other: I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you. You are not white-knuckling it alone at the edge. There is a hand that does not shake — a steady, sure grip — holding you up from underneath. You do not need to be strong enough. You need to trust the One who is.

Now, courage is not the absence of fear. That needs to be said plainly. God's peace is not an anesthetic — it is an anchor. You can feel the fear and still take the step. You can tremble on the outside and be held firm on the inside. Because it is not your hand doing the holding — it is His.

So here is the call today. Not vague, not general — this: name the fear. Say it out loud, write it down, speak it before God — "this is the fear that is stopping me today." Call it by name. And then, with God right beside you, take one step against it. Just one. Make the call. Send the message. Make the decision you've been putting off. You don't have to solve everything — you just have to take one step in faith, in hands that will not let you go.

Stay close to God. Pray — then act. I'll see you tomorrow, my friend.