Today’s Verse
“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10
The Antidote to Fear
Fear is loud. It doesn’t whisper politely, it shouts, spirals, catastrophizes. It takes a small concern and turns it into an overwhelming threat. It convinces you that you’re alone, that the worst will happen, that you won’t be able to handle what’s coming. And if you listen long enough, fear will paralyze you.
But God gives us the antidote in Isaiah 41:10: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God.” Notice the structure of that verse. It doesn’t say, “Fear not, because nothing bad will happen.” It says, “Fear not, because I am with you.” The antidote to fear isn’t the absence of danger, it’s the presence of God.
This changes everything. You’re not being told to ignore reality or pretend threats don’t exist. You’re being told that the threat isn’t bigger than the God who stands with you. That whatever you’re facing, you’re not facing it alone. That the Almighty Himself is your companion, your strength, your help.
God doesn’t just send comfort from heaven. He stands beside you. He goes before you. He surrounds you completely. And when the Creator of the universe is that close, fear becomes unreasonable. Not because circumstances aren’t hard, but because you’re not relying on your own strength to face them.
As we step get further into the new year, you’ll encounter things that try to trigger fear, uncertainty, change, challenges you don’t feel ready for. When that happens, return to this verse. Speak it over yourself. Let God’s presence be louder than your panic. Fear not. He is with you.
Today’s Prayer
Fear not, for You are with me, be not dismayed, for You are my God. These words are my anchor when everything in me wants to panic.
Fear has such a loud voice, whispering worst-case scenarios, magnifying threats, convincing me I’m alone in what I’m facing, but Your presence changes everything.
Teach me that courage isn’t the absence of fear but the choice to believe You’re with me despite what I feel, to trust Your presence more than I trust my anxiety.
You don’t just send encouragement from a distance, You stand beside me, go before me, surround me completely, making fear unreasonable when the Almighty is my companion.
Help me recognize when dismay is creeping in, that sinking feeling of being overwhelmed, and counter it immediately with the truth that You are my God, my strength, my help.
Remind me that this isn’t a one-time promise for one moment but a perpetual reality, that wherever I go, whatever I face, Your presence goes with me and Your power sustains me.
Give me the faith to speak these words over myself when fear rises, to declare Your presence louder than my panic, to choose trust over terror.
Let me walk through today without fear or dismay, not because nothing threatens me but because You are with me, and that makes all the difference.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.