Dr. Rick Mandl - December 14, 2020
What Is The Most Read Bible Verse This Year?
Devotional Manuscript: The Most Read Bible Verse This Year
Message By Dr. Rick Mandl, December 14, 2020 at Eagle Rock Baptist Church
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA.
Hey church family, it probably won’t surprise you to hear that Bible searches have soared online during this very difficult year, with a record number of people turning to Scripture for help and hope. Searches on the YouVersion Bible App increased by 80 percent. But which verse was the most read? The answer is Isaiah 41:10, which says: ‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
In Isaiah 41:10, the Lord promises strength, help, and protection. As part of that, He gives two commands: The two commands are...“Do not fear” And “Do not anxiously look about you.”
One of Satan’s most subtle and most successful traps is the art of distraction. The enemy knows that fear can choke out faith. And so He is hard at work trying to get us to focus exclusively on all of the unsettling circumstances that are going on around us. Once a believer’s attention is taken off of God, and placed onto their circumstances, then anxiety and doubt can grow unobstructed.
Keeping focused on the Lord can be hard. It’s a very natural human response to try to find our security by thinking through all possible angles, and all of the potential “What-Ifs?” When we do that, we focus our attention off of God and onto everything we can do to try and keep our worst fears from coming true. When we do that, instead of becoming more confident, we begin to realize how powerless we are.
Fortunately we serve an all-powerful God who says, “Surely I will help you.” We can count on Him. Like Peter, getting out of the boat to walk on water, as long as we keep our eyes on Jesus we’ll be fine. When we take our eyes off of him and focus on the storm around us, it’s then that we begin to sink. My prayer for you and my prayer for me is that . . . we’d keep our eyes on Jesus and trust in the promises that He has given us. Amen
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA.
From Series: "Daily Devotional Videos"
Find daily inspiration and motivation with our video devotionals!
Signup for our e-newsletter if you would like to receive these in your personal email account. Or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or Twitter to be notified when we post a new devotional on any of our social media accounts.
