Hey everyone, I'm Dr. Allison. Today's scripture offers us a wiser way of being human as we step into the day.

Today's reading is for the one who woke up with fear already in the room before your feet even hit the floor.

Maybe your chest feels tight, maybe your mind is sprinting ahead, rehearsing

worst-case scenarios. Maybe you're moving through your morning with that familiar bracing in your

body, like you're waiting for something to drop. If fear has been riding shotgun with you lately,

this passage offers a lifeline. Not a command to calm down, not a spiritual scolding, but a steady promise.

You are not alone here. Presence meets you in the middle of the fear.

Today's scripture is Isaiah 41, 8 through 10. But you Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham, my friend,

I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners, I called you, I said,

you are my servant, I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed,

for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right

hand. There's a way that some of us can interpret verses like this that actually increases shame.

We hear do not fear. And when fear shows up anyway, we conclude, I'm failing spiritually. I

must not trust God enough. What's wrong with me? But Isaiah 41 isn't an accusation. It's not a

scolding. It's an anchor. And notice something important.

God doesn't start with, stop being afraid. He starts with belonging. Before we ever get to verse 10,

verses 8 and 9 are doing something so tender and powerful. God says, you are my servant. I have chosen you. You are the

descendant of Abraham, my friend. I took you from the ends of the earth. I called you from its

furthest corners. I have chosen you and have not rejected you. Fear has a way of whispering the opposite. It tells you

you're on your own. You're not good enough. You've been overlooked. You're not safe. You're not

wanted here. But God begins by naming identity and connection. I chose you. I called you. I have not rejected you. This is deeply

personal language. It's attachment language. It's the language of a God who goes to the edges,

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