FEAR NOT, THOU WORM JACOB.

 

EVENING DEVOTIONS by James Smith

JANUARY 23

 

Isaiah 41:14

Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel;

I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer,

 the Holy One is Israel.

 
However mean and despicable we may appear in the eyes of others, however weak and feeble we may feel in ourselves, still our God says, “Fear not.”
 
Though but a worm, yet if a praying Jacob, we need not fear, we should not fear; our God forbids it because it injures our souls, encourages our enemies, dispirits our friends, and dishonours his glorious name.
 
How precious, unspeakably precious these “Fear nots” are!
 
How thickly they are strewed through the divine word!
 
But why should we fear?
 
The Lord expressly tells us that “the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the string, neither bread to the wise, not yet riches to me on understanding, not yet favour to men of skills; but time and chance happeneth to them all.”
 
Are we believers in Jesus?
 
Then we should not fear, for our God is our friend, and his care extends over all time—embraces every event—supplies every want—anticipates every emergency—comprehends every believer from the beginning to the end of time—and shall everlastingly secure the safety and happiness of every worm that trusts in him.
 
“Fear not, thou worm of Jacob.”
 

On God thy constant Helper trust,

Thou abject worm despised by all;

No one shall crush thee in the dust,

Since he has raised thee from the fall.

 
James Smith