As a child, when I felt insecure I would always seek out my father. Just sitting beside him made me feel secure. Since I am now grown, and my father is in heaven, it is on such days that I always find myself turning to the book of Isaiah to seek comfort from my Heavenly Father.
I know that for many people, when they need to feel near to God, they turn to the Psalms. But for me, I have always felt closest to God in Isaiah, where He reminds me that I am feeling insecure "Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength." (17:16)
He tells me that "He will swallow up death in victory: and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces..." (25:8)
I am reminded that "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee." (26:3); that He is "wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working" (28:29); that "in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength" (30:15); that I will hear Him saying to me "This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left." (30:21)
He promises that "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of Our God shall stand for ever" (Isaiah 40:8); that He "fainteth not, neither is weary...there is no searching of His understanding" (40:28); that "they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint." (40:31)
He comforts me by saying "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." (41:10). He says that "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins(44:25) and reminds me that it is He who "formed thee from the womb, which will help thee..." (44:2)
He gives me the confidence that "the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded, therefore have I set my face like a flint, and i know that I shall not be ashamed" (50:7); that "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper" (54:17); and He says of His word that "it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." (55:11).
In my confusion, he tells me of Himself that "my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways ... for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (55:8+9)
In my failures, he says "I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners" ((57:18); and that though my "righteousnesses are as filthy rags (64:6); I can say "O Lord, thou art our father, we are the clay, and thou our potter, and we all are the work of thy hand." (64:8)
I don't remember how it started, but when I would seek out my dad as a child, he would always squeeze my little hand within the vice grip of his big, powerful hand until I would giggle and beg him not to squeeze any harder. I was always impressed with his strength, and I was comforted to know that those hands belonged to a man who would always love and protect me ... so it is, that I find myself comforted to "sit beside" my heavenly Daddy in Isaiah, as I read His promise to uphold me with His right hand (41:10) - the same Hand that Isaiah 48:13 says spans the universe!. When I think about the fact that I am being upheld with the same hand that upholds the universe, I can feel that same security that I felt as a child. Praise the Lord!
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