June 29, 2023 
Do not be afraid, for I am with you!
(James Smith, “The Believer’s Companion in Seasons of Affliction and Trouble” 1842)
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“Do not be afraid, for I am with you!” Isaiah 43:5
The presence of a friend in trouble is cheering and consoling. But it is too often the case that our friends, like the friends of Job, prove to be miserable comforters. They do not enter into our troubles–or they can not help us. The advice they give at times–only aggravates our woe, and adds to our distress.
But, believer, your God says, “Do not be afraid, for I am with you!” What a thought is this! God, the great, the glorious, the omnipotent Jehovah–is with me!
With me to help me,
with me to comfort me,
with me to sanctify me,
with me to save me,
with me as a kind benignant Father,
with me in every place, in every trouble, in every conflict,
with me through all my journey and for evermore,
with me on the bed of sickness,
with me to hold communion with me,
with me to listen to my sighs,
with me to number my tears, and
with me to secure me from all injury!
Appearances may be very dark; the night may seem very long; and your pains, weakness, and fears may be many and great. Still, if the Lord is with you, you may sing, “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty–yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!” Habakkuk 3:17-18
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
I have called you by name; you are Mine!
When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior!” Isaiah 43:1-3
iChristian 
What you’ve said about the faithfulness of God to stay the course with us no matter what is a salve to our souls. I love those passages from Habakkuk and Isaiah–true reminders that truth isn’t always what we see or experience but what God says is true. Thanks for this grand encouragement for today, my friend.
I’ve been working on meditating on this train of thought. The weather here where we live is so hot. I’ve lived here for almost 27 years and the triple digit temps usually don’t come until at least July and most of the time not until August. Pretty much the whole month of June we’ve had triple digit temps. I don’t want to know right now what the temps will be in August. I don’t live in Death Valley (a real place) or Arizona for a reason. So, going back to your previous post, weather is making people very irritable in our area. Its not uncommon to have warm weather all the way into October. We’ve actually have had a decent amount of 75 degree(24 Celsius) weather on Thanksgiving (end of November time frame) throughout the years. So knowing that it will most likely be hot for months, does not help the “patience with people” bar stay down. Pray for us, the death rate due to the heat, is very likely to go up this year.
Perfect for me today, right now!,🙏🏽
Steve, you have stated real truth. God is for us and is our help when we rely on him. You quoted some of my favorite scriptures. It is so comforting to know that even though there be no fruit on the vine, yet will I rejoice in the Lord. Praise and worship of God is a powerful weapon because it brings God’s presence. Abundant blessings!