THEME:      SURVIVOR

Text:           Isaiah 41: 8-14

By:              NYAMOR IBRAHIM (DR.)

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Introduction:

The background or the ongoing theme of these six verses in the book of Isaiah that supplies context to our theme savior. Isaiah 41:10 is dealing with various life challenges such as:

1. Fear
2. Helplessness (discouragement)
3. Hatred (incensed). vs 11
4. Opposition verse 12
5. Poverty

Against these challenges, the promised survivor to his people Israel with these seven (7) comforting words “Fear not, for I am with you”. 41:10

Life Challenges in the Passage

1. Fear vs 1 –
2. Hatred (incensed). vs 11
3. Competition (strive – opposition. vs 12
4. Helplessness – poverty of strength.

II Strategies of Survivor in the Passage

4. God’s sovereignty – He is the First and the Last. vs 4. He is the Lord.
5. The peoples’ effort: They helped everyone Renew. vs 6. They speak encouraging words to themselves. “Be of good courage”. They work as a team – helping to construct.
6. Listening to God’s promise and trusting it.

Look at verse 1 – 14. How many times God has promised to Israel?

vs 8 – Cast not them away

vs 9 – Fear not – I am with thee.

Because He Promises To Help Me

1. He Knows Me —-

• He knows how I feel. – Hebrews 4: 14-16
• He knows what it means to be tempted. – Mathew 4: 1-11
• He knows what it means to be rejected by friends, — Mathew 13: 33-38
• He knows what it means to feel alone in the midst of a difficult situation. – Mark 14: 32-42; 15: 34
• He knows what it means to be betrayed. – Mathew 26: 21, 33-34
• He knows what it means to feel discouraged. — Mathew 23: 37
• He knows what it means to be attacked and abused by “the system”.– Luke 22: 27-53; 23:1-46
• He knows what it means to be misunderstood. – Mathew 8: 18-27; 11: 2-3; 18: 1-5; 21: 20-28; Mark 2: 15-17; Luke 7: 36-39; 4: 16-30
• He knows what it means to love ones in death. – Mathew 14: 1-14; John 11: 1-44

2. I Am Special To God —

• I am chosen. – 1 Peter 2: 9-10
• I am special to God. – Psalm 8
• My life is no accident. – Psalm 139
• I am made in God’s Image. Genesis 1: 26-31
• To God, I am an individual, not one of many. – Mathew 10: 30

3. He Promises His Presence –

• He says “I will never leave you”. –Mathew 13: 5-7
• He promises His spirit to those who accept His saving grace. – Acts 2: 38
• He promises to live with me. – John 14: 17-23
• He promises His protection (salvation) for His children. – Isaiah 51; 54:17
• He’s there even when I can’t see Him. – 2 Kings 6: 15-17

4. He Promises To Provide To My Needs —

• He give me wisdom. All I have to do is ask without doubting. – James 1: 5-8
• He takes care of my needs. – Mathew 6: 25-34
• He supplies all my needs. Philippians 4:19

5. He knows how to answer all my prayers concerning my needs. Mathew 7: 7-11

• He can give me the rest I so badly need from the cares, concerns, and worries of this life. – Mathew 11: 28-30
• He is my shepherd and like a shepherd, provides for my needs. – Psalm 23
• He can provide for my necessities from unlikely sources. – Exodus 15: 23-25; 16: 1-4, 13-15; 17: 1, 5-6

6. He can provide a way when it seems there is no way. – Exodus 14: 21-22; Joshua 3: 13-17

• He can make time for me to do His will when it seems there is no time. Joshua 10: 12-13; 2, Kings 20: 1-11

7. I Can See The Promises He Has Made And Fulfilled In The Lives Of Others –

• Genesis 6: 7-8, 13: 7: 1, 10, 17, 21-23; 9; 1, 8-19
• – Genesis 12: 1-3; 18: 11-14, 21-23
• – Genesis 37: 5-9; 39: 1-4, 20-23; 41: 14-16, 37-45
• – Philippians 2: 5-11 

8. There Is Nothing Hard For God (If It’s Within His Will For My Life)

• God can give children, even in advanced years. – Genesis 18:14
• God can give deliverance in the face of unbelievable odds. – Exodus 14: 21-30; 2 Kings 19: 8-19, 32-37
• God can provide physical and mental strength in advanced ages. – Deuteronomy 37: 7, Joshua 14: 6-11
• God can give wisdom and knowledge out of ignorance in order to fulfill God’s plan for my Life. – Exodus 31: 1-6; Ephesians 4: 11-13.
• God gives me the will to do His will and the wherewithal to accomplish it. – Philippians 2:13; 4:13

 Conclusion

God, He alone is the Lord. There is none like Him (not even close). There is none above Him.. He is to be revered, feared, loved, obeyed, and trusted, He has never failed to keep a promise. So His word is immutable.

If I see something wrong with the way God is doing things, then any adjustment that need to be made needs to be made on my part. God has never and will never make a single mistake.

God is not a man that He should lie (Number 23: 19). He say He will always be there. So, it’s up to me to accept and believe His word.

I must see God in His terms, He is no genie of who I can ask anything, no matter how ridiculous the request or its long-term effect on me and those around me. He is a loving, caring, compassionate, forgiving, empowering, omnipotent, trustworthy, father whose thoughts of me are more than those I have for myself at any time (Psalm 139: 17-18). He must be consistent with His nature. I cannot expect blessings from His right hand while I ask Him to hold on to my sins (un-repented of) in His left hand until more convenient season when I will get around to addressing them.

How do I know He’s there? Because He promises to be. And H e has never broken His promise.

My Prayer

Oh, God, help me to be true to my promise to love and obey you, my Lord and my Savior. Thank you, Lord for loving me, even when I am not very lovable to myself. Help me to quit trying to make a life for me and to accept the life you have planned for me. There is so much about which I know little or nothing, especially as it relates rest of life. I want to learn to trust you more. Abba Father, Daddy God, I love you! I praise your name, for you, alone, are worthy of my praise. Thank you, Lord, for loving me. Thank you for caring for me and providing for my needs. I love You, Lord! Please accept my praise and thanks and fulfill my petitions in name of Jesus. Amen and Amen!

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