One of the things we need every day of our lives is the ability to endure the strains and stresses of life. I want to give you a formula for stress - one taken from the Bible. It is not my word, but God’s Word to you and to me. Too often we live our lives like the song, "One Day At A Time", but this formula is for every day of the week. It is found in Isaiah 41:10,
"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."
Isn’t that wonderful? Here is a formula for stress. Here is God’s word to you and to me for each day of the week. It is exactly what I need, and exactly what you need too. It is a kind of doctor’s prescription handed to us to give us strength, support, encouragement and hope for the day - and for every day.
The doctor who gives us the prescription is the Great Physician, the Lord God Himself! Of course, a prescription is of very little us unless it is acted upon! The prescription enables us to obtain the remedy; and the remedy must then be applied, or taken. Only then does it start to do any good! It is just like this with God’s formula for stress: if we seek his help, He will surely give it; but we must act on what He says. We must not only be hearers of His word to us, but doers of it! I think you will agree that this is a great word from the Lord to every one of us! Tonight I want us to think of it like this,
I. On Sunday: "Fear thou not..."
A. This word comes right down to the point of our need.
1. At one time or another every one of us is gripped by fear.
2. But God knows all about our fears, and this word for Sunday is in fact a command. ‘Do not fear!’
B. He can command that because He is able to banish our fears; with the command comes His enabling.
1. Are you gripped by some particular fear at this moment?
2. Sunday’s word is, ‘Do not fear!’
3. Let the Lord free you from it.
C. Have you ever noticed how frequently God tells us not to be afraid, in the Bible?
1. The constant repetition should be all the proof we need that He wants to set us free from our fears, and that He can do it !
2. He can free you from fear as He did the psalmist, who said, "I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." (Psa 34:4)
3. So, Sunday’s word is: ‘Do not fear!’
II. Monday’s Word: ‘For I am with thee...’
A. This is why we need not fear: the Lord is with us!
1. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." (Psa 23:4)
2. Why? ‘...for thou art with me..."
3. Because the Lord Jesus Himself is with me on Sunday, or better still on Monday, fear just has to go; fear is banished.
B. Sunday’s blessing flows into Monday!
1. Jesus said, "...I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."
2. "So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." (Heb 13:5-6)
3. When you think about it - if the Lord Himself really is with you, how can you remain fearful?
4. The realized presence of Christ is the secret of release from fear.
5. My Lord is with me!-and because He is, I need not be afraid.
III. Tuesday’s word is: "..Be not dismayed.."
A. To be dismayed is to be discouraged.
1. Discouragement is one of the prevailing problems of today.
2. And discouragement always comes from the Devil, whose aim is to get us down and keep us down.
3. But we need not be discouraged: God loves us very much and cares for us.
4. He reaches down from heaven, as it were, and says to us, ‘Don’t be discouraged! Don’t lose heart!’
B. This reminds us of 1 Samuel 30:6 where we read this:
"And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God."
1. David was greatly distressed . . .
2. But he encouraged himself in the Lord his God.
3. He went to the Lord personally (v8) and was encouraged.
C. Maybe you are discouraged tonight.
1. If so, listen to God’s Word to you this evening...Be not dismayed!.
2. Go to the Lord personally for a word of encouragement.
IV. Wednesday’s word is: "...For I am thy God..."
If God, the Almighty One, is our God, and if He is with us, doesn’t it put all our fears and problems into a new perspective?
A. This a personal Word.
1. I am your God: If you are bruised and battered, or even if you have been broken in the trials and testings of life, take this word from the Lord right now and realize how personal it is!
2. We should say to Him, ‘Thank You, Lord, for this word! I accept it from You; I take it now as your word just to me!’
B. The important thing to notice:
1. It is not the believer who is saying to the Lord, ‘Lord, You are mine!’
2. But it is the Lord saying to the believer, ‘I am yours!’
3. So, however fearful or uncertain you may feel, if you are a Christian He gives you this firm assurance - He says, ‘I am your God!’
4. What more could we want?
V. Thursday’s Word is: ‘...I will strengthen thee...’
A. The Lord is our support.
1. When we are facing the demands of ordinary everyday living.
2. He gives His gracious and wonder- ful enabling grace.
3. He told the apostle Paul, ""And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Cor 12:9)
B. God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness.
1. This was Paul’s testimony.
2. He was able to say, "...for when I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Cor 12:10b)
3. Do you feel weak? He will strengthen you!
VI. Friday’s Word is: "...I will help thee..."
A. Note: Romans 8:26
"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." (Rom 8:26)
B. I know the immediate reference is to prayer, but we must not confine the application to prayer alone.
1. The fact is, we are weak and strengthless in ourselves, but the Lord comes alongside us to strengthen us.
2. He says to us, ‘I will help you!’
3. Do you need His help tonight?
a. Is it perhaps some physical need, or a need connected with your home or business?
b. Is it a loved one who is ill or in trouble?
c. Or is it that you yourself lack the assurance of God’s love and forgiveness?
4. Well, the Lord is with you right now to help you, and He will do just that if you will give your whole situation and your whole anxiety over to Him.
VII. Saturday’s word is: "...I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."
A. Can you say that you are absolutely safe for time and eternity?
1. Some might say that would be presumptuous?
2. No, it is not presumptuous, for MY GOD is holding me and He is upholding me!
3. Consider what Jesus said:
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand." (John 10:27-29)
B. How completely safe and secure are we?
1. Absolutely safe and secure!
2. ‘He hideth my soul in the cleft of the Rock and covers me there with His hand.’
3. There is the formula for stress!
"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." (Isa 41:10)
Do you need some help getting through this week? There is enough here to meditate upon every day of the week. Whatever we may be facing...God will enable us to deal with it effectively. He will not fail.