Satisfied In God’s Presence - Can I Be Satisfied?

“fear not, for I am with you;

be not dismayed, for I am your God;

I will strengthen you, I will help you,

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

(Isaiah 41:10, ESV)

I want you to be with me.

It’s a phrase I hear in my house daily. I’m in a season of parenting small children, and time alone is difficult to come by. When I kiss my girls goodnight and start walking out of the room, their tiny voices plead with me to stay. When they want something from another part of the house, they ask me to accompany them. If I step out of sight into the other room, I hear my kids calling my name within a matter of seconds. I want you to be with me.

Presence is powerful. As much as we may crave time for ourselves, we don’t want to be truly alone in our struggles, our fears, or our feelings. God’s promise in today’s text is that he will be with us.

God reminds us that he chose us to be his—and he’s not changing his mind. He invited us into the honor of being not only his servant, but also his friend. He called us from all kinds of places and pasts, gathering us to himself, and he will not cast us off. He is committed to us.

Then these words of comfort follow: “Fear not” and “do not be dismayed” (verse10). There are few words that feel more impossible in times of trouble than these. When you’re overcome with anxiety, the simple words “don’t worry” feel like an insurmountable summit. When your life spins into chaos, fear can feel like not just the only option, but the safest one. The word dismayed in the Hebrew language connotes the idea of looking around anxiously, searching for some kind of help. Can you identify with that feeling?

Our hope is in the word “for,” which gives the unshakable grounds of our comfort. “Fear not,” he tenderly speaks, “for I am with you.” “Be not dismayed,” he entreats, “for I am your God.” We can see our fears diminished because God’s powerful presence is with us. We can stop frantically grasping for something—anything—to help us out of this mess because the Lord who is sovereign over all and faithful to every promise is our God. His presence with you means he will strengthen you when you’re battered and weary. He will help you when all your efforts seem to lead nowhere. And when you feel as if you will collapse under the weight of your troubles, he will hold you up with his righteous right hand.

Like a child desperate for the comforting presence of her parents, call out to your Father, “I want you to be with me.” His answer is “I’m right here.”

Reflect:

The strength, help, and comfort of God’s presence can seem elusive. We can become more aware of his presence as we deepen our relationship with him through things like prayer, Bible reading, and meditating on Scripture. What is one practical way you can prioritize your relationship with God this week?