1/4/26 - 3 Promises of God for the New Year: Isaiah 41:10
Heavyweight fighter Mike Tyson said: “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face”
You enter into the ring with a strategy, then a fight happens, and your “plan” is tossed & becomes an exercise of survival. We enter into 2026 with a plan, then life happens: a fight, often a spiritual fight (Ephesians 6:12) and your plan gets tossed and becomes a survival among the ups and downs, the blessings and the battles that the year will most surely bring.
EPHESIANS 6:12: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
What if there was a plan which didn’t get tossed or go away with the first sign of battle/hurt?
What if there was a plan that stayed with you, all the way, before, during, and after the positives and negatives we call life in 2026? THERE IS..... GOD HAS SUCH A PLAN FOR US IN THIS NEW YEAR, AND IT HAS BEEN SUMMARIZED IN ONE MAJESTIC VERSE.........
We go to that verse, which, according to the app family of YOU VERSION, has been the most searched verse in Scripture for 4 of the last 6 years, including 2025, the year just finished:
Isaiah 41:10: God’s Plan for Us in the NEW YEAR, which includes 2 COMMANDS and 3 PROMISES.....
“Fear thou not: For I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
2 COMMANDS (PRELUDE TO THE PLAN)
A. DO NOT FEAR. There are two kinds of fear: a healthy fear: To fear God is to respect/honor/reverence. An unhealthy fear is a fear that entered because of the fall in Genesis 1, the result of sin: I was afraid... We still are: there are over 500 categorized phobias; there are lots of reasons to fear in 2026: geopolitical reasons: Russia/China; economic; health; future decisions. This unhealthy fear can paralyze us, steal from us our joy, and create all kinds of relational, emotional, and physical failures/distresses. To this unhealthy fear, God has a COMMAND: The phrase FEAR NOT appears 366 times in the Bible. The Bible not only tells us not to fear, it tells us how to manage & overcome this unhealthy fear: Psalm 56:3: fear is managed by Trust. IF GOD IS HERE, HAVE NO FEAR
B. DO NOT BE DISMAYED: This means to be in a state of alarm, panic/danger: 1 Samuel 30:6: because of an Amalekite raid on their city Ziklag which burned and captured their families, they didn’t know what to do: they decided to seek God: & God directed them to pursue, overtake, get families & possessions back.
C. Why can He give these commands? How is it possible? If God is here, have no fear. THE PRESENCE OF GOD: I am WITH you. I am YOUR God: IT’S PERSONAL even in worst of times: “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Corrie Ten Boom said “In times of fear, I do not WRESTLE, I NESTLE: in the arms of the God of creation, the all knowing, all powerful, ever present God”.
After the PRELUDE, we have the PLAN ITSELF, INTERTWINED AMONG THE 3 PROMISES.....: which helps us not only in the battle, but BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER the battles.....
3 PROMISES - Here are 3 of the over 3000 promises in Scripture. The Bible is a Promise Book. That averages out to 3 promises for every chapter. Charles Spurgeon said about promises: Prayer is bringing God’s promises to Him and saying: DO WHAT YOU PROMISED.
A. I WILL STRENGTHEN YOU. I will make you firm, I will FORTIFY you. Yes, we are weak, but be glad that God is in the STRENGTHENING business. Earlier in Isaiah: 40:28-31 Paul summarizes well: Philippians 4:13: linked with Him, stronger than without Him. Before the battle: we are in training: He is strengthening us: through Scripture: Psalm 1:2-3, 2 Timothy 2:15 & through prayer: James 5:16 PSALM 1:2-3: His delight is in the Law of the Lord, and in His law doth he
meditate day and night: and he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of waters, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
JAMES 5:16: THE EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN AVAILETH MUCH.
B. I WILL HELP YOU. There is active participation of God during the trials: He not only loves, He can and does help: If a heavy tree limb falls on your 5 year old’s leg. It’s not a question of love if you can help, it’s also a question of ability. Even when we do something dumb & get ourselves in a mess: GOD WILL NEVER UNFRIEND US (sever direct connection with); John 15: He calls us
FRIENDS, during the battle: we are never alone: 1 Cor. 10:13.
C. I WILL UPHOLD YOU. He lifts and supports us. He is our FOUNDATION: He holds us up: Psalm
PSALM 145:14: The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up those that be bowed down.
He is with us after the battle: when we are scarred, hurt: He heals us: holds us when we would fall. He is with us when we are hurt by sin: THERE IS ALWAYS MORE MERCY IN CHRIST THAN SIN IN US.
THAT IS A PLAN THAT GETS US THROUGH THE HIGHS AND LOWS, THE BLESSINGS AND THE BATTLES OF 2026.
BEFORE THE BATTLES, I WILL STRENGTHEN
DURING THE BATTLE, I WILL HELP
AFTER THE BATTLE, I WILL UPHOLD
SO, FEAR NOT, I AM WITH YOU, DO NOT BE DISMAYED, I AM YOUR GOD
HAVE NO FEAR....GOD IS HERE........