- 74. Strengthen My Servant
Isaiah 41:9-10 Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof,, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. 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.
The Lord gives a prophecy about The Servant, who turns out to be Jesus of Nazareth the Christ. The Servant is taken, called and chosen to be the Servant of the Lord. The called Servant is exhorted not to fear nor be dismayed, because the Lord is with Him, the Lord will strengthen Him, He will help Him, and He will uphold Him. This promise gives the Servant Messiah courage and strength to undergo persecution and crucifixion. Jesus took courage to carry out the will of the Father as He agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane. The promise given to the Servant is also meant for us who identify by faith with Him. In Christ we are able to endure anything: we do not fear nor are we dismayed, for have the Promise. We have Christ, who was given this promise.
Our Lord promises four things. First, He is with us. He is Immanuel, God with us. Jesus says, “Lo, I am with you always.” In the early church the people saw that the Disciples had been with Jesus. This promise from Jesus is extremely comforting. Whenever we are sick, poor, weak, persecuted, in mourning, and downtrodden it is comforting and encouraging for us to know that God is with us. His presence to bless, preserve, protect, and save works for us in every circumstance.
Second, He will strengthen us. When we are weak (and we always are) He is strong. His strength is made perfect in weakness. God has the strength for us and it works for us when we need it.
Third, He will help us. God helps the helpless. Cry out to Him in distress and the Lord will come to be with you, strength you, and help you. He is wise to know how to help; He is strong to be able to help; He is love, so He freely and willingly offers His help.
Fourth, He will uphold us. We will not stumble and fall. We will always be held up and kept going. Count on it.