So then, we rejoice in the fact that though
we endure weakness like anyone else, yet we have an inner source of strength
that the world knows nothing about when our trust is in our God, in our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ.
But that’s not the end of it all, is
it? The power that God promises here is
not just to strengthen. He goes on to
say, “Yea, I will help thee; Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my
righteousness.”
The commentator Alex Motyer, as he expounds
this verse, writes, 'The Lord promises a mounting tide of assistance.' Not only does God say, “I will strengthen
thee”, he says, “Yea I will help thee,
yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
“I will help thee”. There’s a contrast here between the people of
God and the heathen people in the nations of the world. If we look back to those earlier verses when
we saw that the isles saw it and feared
(verse 5) we go on to read, ‘They helped each one his neighbour and every
one his brother saying, “Be of good courage”. So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith
and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is
ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be
moved.” Now this is almost a kind of
sarcastic move on the part of the prophet.
You see these heathen nations, when they saw the enemy armies advancing
they were panicking and saying, “What shall we do?” “Oh,” they said, “we’d better make some more
gods, better make some more idols and they will protect us.” And so they were busy helping one another to
make more idols and thinking that somehow or another that would put off the
enemy. What folly that was!
The Lord is saying to his people, “You need
not join these other nations in panicking and trying to make gods to protect
you. You have a God you will already help you: I will help thee”. How
thankful we are for our helpers where we live but we have an almighty helper,
an almighty carer, one who cares for us in all our distresses.
Those of you who are familiar with The Pilgrim’s Progress will remember
that very early on in his journey Christian, after he left the City of
Destruction and was bound for the Heavenly City he fell into the Slough of
Despond. He’d suddenly become very
despondent and very depressed. We read a
very beautiful thing about that when Christian appeared to be sinking in that
Slough of Despond. Someone called Help came along and pulled him out.
“I
will help thee”, says the Lord.
He knows all about our proneness to be
despondent, to be depressed. When such
feelings come, he is there at hand. He
is ready to come alongside us. He’s
ready to say, “I will help thee” So
we need not fear that when we are physically strong enough we get despondent in
our minds. Our God is there. He not only says, “I will strengthen thee”. He says, “I will help thee”.
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