The most popular verse through 2023 was Isaiah 41:10: “So 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.” 

YouVersion reported that this is the third time since 2020 that Isaiah 41:10 rose to the top as “the verse people highlighted, bookmarked, and shared the most”. That such an anti-anxiety verse like this would be top should come as little surprise in a year fear-filled with wars and many other causes for concern. Indeed, a little closer to home, there’s also worrisome things like the looming GST increase come January 1. 

But have we stopped to ask ourselves why and how do we “fear not”? Having answers to questions like these is important as they will direct our days ahead. So let’s reach deeper into Isaiah 41 to see what are some promises and principles we can boldly take into 2024 and remember that…

God is with you

The words in Isaiah 41 were spoken to the exiled remnant in Israel. This was a people who were feeling discouraged, dismayed and alone as a result of their long years of rebellion and suffering, culminating in captivity in Babylon.

Their situation is bleak, but God tells them not to fear because He is with them and He is their God.

God’s presence with you is reason enough not to fear. We do not fear not because trouble is absent – we do not fear because God is present with us.

You are not alone. God is with you. How does this truth challenge what you’re worried or anxious about in 2024? Let this precious promise of God wash over the way you see things, say things and do things.

God will help you

As if verse 10 wasn’t reassuring enough, the Lord reaffirms in Isaiah 41:14: “I myself will help you.”

God says to the Israelites that He will make them into a “threshing sledge”, powerful enough to “thresh the mountains and crush them”. 

Considering that this threshing sledge was to be “new and sharp, with many teeth”, might we also consider the possibility that God’s help for us might look like Him installing us in new places, alongside others, working together to get through obstacles? It’s a picture for ministry worth bearing in mind as we work in unity for God’s glory.

Praise God that He helps His children; we rejoice in the Lord and glory in the Holy One of Israel.

God’s provision is miraculous

A big reason for fear is lack. We worry we will not be able to get something, or we worry we will run out of something.

These are problems that have to do with limits, which do not apply to a limitless God who cares for even the littlest of His creation. Sheltered under His wings, being protected and provided for – we fear not.

Indeed, verses 18 to 20 speak of a God who brings forth fruitfulness from barrenness. At His word, rivers will flow on barren heights, springs will burst forth from the valleys. Deserts will turn into waters and parched ground into springs. 

This God who works wonders in wastelands and wildernesses is the same God in your heart today. No matter the condition of your heart and life, even if we cannot see or fathom it – He is able to provide miraculously.

What’s next?

2024 looms ahead, filled with a great many unknowns and an air of uncertainty. But believers can fearlessly approach life with a glorious certainty that comes from knowing Jesus has overcome the world.

So what’s next after obeying God’s command not to fear?

Most likely, it is to fulfil what He has told you to do (which perhaps is what scared you in the first place!). Boldly follow through with what God has tasked you to do, or find out what that is. Either will take courage and intentionality.

We hope that, just as you have been encouraged, you will also encourage others and share this Hope that has emboldened you.

Through it all, you can trust that the same God who has carried you through all the years of your life thus far will be carrying you through 2024.