Day of Praise

Sat, 10/22/16, "Day of Praise"

"Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel, do not fear, for I myself will help you,' declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel." - Isaiah 41:14

High school biology. Dissecting a shark was really cool. Methodically cutting up a body in order to study its internal parts was the neatest thing.

Well, it was cool, when there were some internal parts to study. A shark had a lot of parts to dissect. An earthworm, on the other hand, well, there isn't much to it.

Why then does God call his people a "worm" in today's verse? God says, "Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob."

Is God insulting his own people? Is God insulting them, saying, "There's not much to you, you worm!" No!

God's not insulting his people. Instead, God's saying he understands how others insult his people, as in Psalm 22:6, "But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people."

So in today's verse, in Isaiah 41:14, when God says, "'Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel, do not fear, for I myself will help you," God is saying the following:

1) Other people may insult you, but I, the Lord, will build you up.
2) Other people may think there's not much to you, but I, the Lord, made you, and I think the world of you.
3) Other people may bully you, but I, the Lord, will fight for you.
4) Other people may think you're standing alone, but I, the Lord, am on your side.
5) Other people may call you a worm, but I, the Lord, call you my people.

So today, as the world comes at you and calls you a worm and tries to beat you down, be not afraid; be not discouraged.

The truth that God will stand with you and hold you up, even as the world tries to beat you down, is summed in Romans 8:31, "What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

Have a great day, Friends, and trust that the LORD, the Living God, is for you and fighting by your side.

'Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel, do not fear, for I myself will help you,' declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel." - Isaiah 41:14

Praise God!

Pastor Chris 
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

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