Our Strong Foundation and “How Firm a Foundation” (#147)

Two of the many great passages in the Bible that bring comfort and reassurance to the believer in times of distress are, first, here in Isaiah 41:8-10 where the Lord says this to His people.

⁸ But you, Israel, My servant,
    Jacob, whom I have chosen,
    the offspring of Abraham, My friend;
⁹ you whom I took from the ends of the earth,
    and called from its farthest corners,
  saying to you, “You are my servant,
    I have chosen you and not cast you off”;
¹⁰ fear not, for I am with you;
    be not dismayed, for I am your God;
 I will strengthen you, I will help you,
   I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

And such words of encouragement are even more thrilling to the soul here in Isaiah 43:1-5, where the Lord speaks words of comfort that assure us of His presence and providential care. Even in the most grievous and puzzling trials, He assures us that He loves us and will go with us through whatever trial we face; we will not be alone.  The hymn “How Firm a Foundation” places Isaiah’s inspired words into a marvelous musical setting that closely follows the inspired words of the text.

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