with meditations
by my mother, Poetess Gertrude Sanborn
August 6
Isaiah 37:8--Isaiah
40:24
BE
NOT DISMAYED
Isaiah 41:10
"Fear
thou not for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am
thy God"
My mother had a plaque
on her kitchen wall. It was the words of this beautiful
verse in Isaiah 41. After she died, I took those words
from her wall and put them on my wall. I look at them
almost daily. The paper on which the words are printed
is water marked and old; but the words are as living
today as they were when mother put them on her wall. For
that matter, they are as living today as they were the
day that Isaiah put them down on some parchment.
Sometime last year, I
thought to myself, "1 would like to write about this
verse." I would like to ponder each word. I kept
wondering what "be not dismayed" really meant. Those
three words are couched between "FEAR THOU NOT" and "FOR
I AM THY GOD!" I remembered that verse when our son
David died very suddenly. God whispered in my ear, "BE
NOT D1SMAYED!"
It's almost like the
protection a mother and father give to their small child
as they walk down the street. Each of the child's hands
is held by a parent, the mother on one side and the
father on the other. She is protected between the two
people who love her more than anyone in the whole world.
There is no fear in such protection. There is no cause
for alarm, for Mommie and Daddy are there. That's God's
protection to me and to you, too, that is, if you know
Jesus Christ as Saviour.
Let's look at the
word, "D1SMA Y." I asked my husband what that word meant
in the Hebrew language. He said it meant "to
look," "to gaze," "to look about in anxiety." The King
James Bible translators chose the word, "DISMAY" to
convey such a meaning. "FEAR THOU NOT!! DON’T LOOK ABOUT
YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES OF LIFE WITH SUCH ANXIETY! I AM THY
GOD!"
How that speaks to me
today! I must confess, at this writing, that I am going
through terrific stress, anxiousness, and alarm. I don't
want to be this way. My body is overwhelmed with such
alarm. It seems that I have no control over the pain
this "DISMAY" has brought. How good of my Heavenly
Father to give me this verse today just when I needed
it! "FEAR
THOU NOT, I AM THY
GOD!" Yes, I know that He is God and that He is my God!
I am "born again." Yet the "dismay" has left me
"diminished of courage" and "intimidated." Another word
for it is "daunt."
I remind myself of
Elijah on Mount Carmel when he faced Jezebel's false
prophets. He thought he was the only one who dared such
truthful separation! My, he was bold. He was fearless
and brave! "HOW LONG HALT YE BETWEEN TWO OPINIONS?" His
boldness could not be equaled. Yes, there have been
brave men and women who have stood up for the truth. But
none can surpass the brave boldness of the PROPHET
ELIJAH!
Then Jezebel did her
dastardly deed! How easily a bold Christian can become
discouraged by an ill advised spoken word. The Bible
tells us in Kings 19: 1, ". . . Ahab told Jezebel all
that Elijah had done . . ." The very fact that the
wicked woman was "on Elijah's case" put fear into his
heart.
Sometimes it doesn't
take much to discourage a Christian--especially one who
has been on the front lines of warfare as Elijah was. He
had slain 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the
groves (I Kings 18:19). He was exhausted. Then she
threatened him. She cast a death-spell on Elijah (I
Kings 19: 1-2.). He crumbled in fear! He ran for his
life into the wilderness and sat under a juniper tree
wanting to die.
Then an angel came to
Elijah and strengthened him. I like to think that God
whispered in his ear, "FEAR THOU NOT, FOR I AM WITH
THEE. BE NOT DISMAYED. I AM THY GOD. I WILL STRENGTHEN
THEE. I WILL HELP THEE."
So I ask myself, "What
more do I need to hear in the trials of my life than the
"STILL SMALL VOICE OF GOD saying to me, "BE NOT
DISMAYED!" (ysw)
"STAND STILL & LISTEN"
(Exodus 14:13)
Sometimes God
would have us "stand still" in an overwhelming trial.
"Stand still and
see the salvation of the LORD!"
DESPAIR says
GIVE UP AND DIE!
COWARDS say
RETREAT!
IMPATIENCE says
DO SOMETHING!
PRESUMPTION says
EXPECT A MIRACLE!
But FAITH says
LISTEN TO GOD AND HER HIM SAY
STAND STILL &
SEE!
(Copied by GGS
from Spurgeon’s Morning & Evening)
And
Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he
said, Behold, in the tent. And he said, I will certainly
return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo,
Sarah thy wife shall have a son. (Genesis 18:10)
