A Resurrection-Shaped Voice: Courage in Fear
- Feb 18
- 2 min read
Isaiah 41:10
“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God;I will strengthen you, I will help you; I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.”
There are moments in life when fear walks right into the room and sits down, as if it plans to stay awhile. A diagnosis. A phone call at midnight. A pink slip. A graveside gathering you never wanted to attend. Fear knows how to make itself at home.
But Isaiah 41:10 reminds us that we don’t face fear with empty hands. We face it with a promise—God’s promise. And not just any promise, but a resurrection-shaped one.
Notice what God doesn’t say. He doesn’t say, “Don’t be afraid because everything is going to work out exactly the way you want.” He doesn’t say, “Don’t fear because you’re strong enough to handle this.” No, the foundation for our courage isn’t our strength or our circumstances. It’s His presence.
“For I am with you.”
When Jesus walked out of the tomb, He didn’t just conquer death—He declared, once and for all, that fear doesn’t get the last word. A resurrection-shaped voice speaks into fear with a different tone. It doesn’t deny the hard places, but it refuses to let them define the story.
God says:
I will strengthen you. When you feel like you’re running on fumes.
I will help you. When you don’t know what to do next.
I will uphold you. When you’re sure you can’t stand anymore.
The One who spoke these words is the same One who rolled away the stone. And if the God of resurrection holds you with His “victorious right hand,” then fear is not your destiny—courage is.
So maybe today you stand at a hospital bed, or you carry a fear only you and God know. Let Isaiah’s promise sink deep. Let it shape your voice, your prayers, your posture. Speak to your fear the way the risen Christ speaks to you: “You don’t get to rule here. My God is with me.” And He is. Right now. Right where the fear lives. Held, strengthened, upheld—by a hand strong enough to raise the dead and gentle sufficient to hold you steady.
That is why a resurrection-shaped voice can speak courage into the places that shake us.
Have a Great Week,
Martins Lutheran Church
