Lesson 209 - WHEN YOU FEEL ALL ALONE (God's Plans and Promises for You from the Book of Isaiah)

By Frank Eiklor and the Shalom Team

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

I was a Marine having just arrived on a tiny Pacific island called Okinawa. That's when Jesus came to me in my emptiness and loneliness and became so real I thought I was touching Him.

Like a starving man turned loose in a supermarket, I immediately began devouring page after page, book after book, of Scripture. The first verse that I can remember jumping out at me was Isaiah 41:10. Again and again I would break off separate morsels of this "meal in a verse" and savor them anew on my spiritual palate. "Fear not..." ("But Lord, I'm alone and full of fears."), "for I am with thee" (Wow, Lord, You, the God of all creation, including this island, with me?!)

Then I got spiritual goose bumps when I began seeing who this "I am" really is. The "I am" revealed to Moses. The "I am" revealed through Jesus in titles that still take my breath away: I am the way, truth, life, resurrection, true vine, door, and on and on! And the one that thrilled me most was "Before Abraham was, I am!" (John 8:58)

Now look at the repeat of the words "I am" in our verse today. After "I am with thee" that causes hopelessness to evaporate, the Lord says, "for I am thy God." Next follow three "I will's" that should bring thrills to you and me today. "I will strengthen thee" (to meet any test or trial); "I will help thee" (every hour of every day in every way); " I will uphold thee" (His powerful right hand leading us into battle against the powers of darkness and causing us to stand in triumph). Memorize this scripture and make it your own!

My prayer: "Oh my loving Father, I thank You for Your promise to be the great 'I am' in my life. Help me to step out boldly each day, knowing that You will strengthen, help and uphold me."

"Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ" (I Corinthians 11:1)
The ST. PAUL SCHOOL, with Frank Eiklor, Eileen Young and Cecilia Contreras

Related Articles · More Articles

Lesson 260 - THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST: SIGNS OF THE TIMES (PART 4)

Jesus said many would come in His name and deceive the hearts of the simple, sinful and proud. Eastern mysticism and meditation is a big thing in the gullible West. And one day a “world leader” will appear on the scene with the persuasion of a god and the heart of a devil. Jesus warns His children to know the Scriptures, live in obedience to the Father’s will, and stay alert to the signs of the times.

Lesson 259 - THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST: SIGNS OF THE TIMES (PART 3)

They laugh no more. Now God’s description of how He will destroy the old earth and create a new one makes perfect sense. The splitting of the atom turned many skeptics into believers. After all, look what man himself is capable of doing with the atom and hydrogen bombs. Now the fear is that nuclear weapons are being placed in the hands of madmen who wish to annihilate their enemies.

Lesson 258 - THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST: SIGNS OF THE TIMES (PART 2)

God has blessed man with incredible genius. We stand in awe as we watch men and women in a room full of computers and high-tech instruments guiding and landing spacecraft on distant planets. At that moment, we appear invincible. But then a mammoth tornado comes—or a terrifying hurricane—or rains that flood whole regions and never listen to our shouts to “Stop!”—or the shake that removes from under our feet any confidence or pride we carry, and leaves us numb with hardly enough breath to even utter the paralyzing word “EARTHQUAKE!”. And man is helpless in the face of it all!

Back To Archives