Isaiah 41:10, 13 — Fear Thou Not, For I Am With Thee

Why families choose it

Most readings speak about God; this one is God speaking — directly, in the first person, to someone who is afraid. Grief is frightening as well as sad, and this passage names the fear without shame, then answers it three times over: strengthen, help, uphold. It ends with one of the homeliest images in scripture — a hand holding a hand. For a family facing the first days alone, it is less a meditation than a promise.

Reading it aloud

This is spoken comfort, so speak it — steadily, at the pace you would use telling one person not to be afraid. The three promises build through ‘yea... yea’; let each one be its own breath. Leave a clear silence before the final verse, which starts again quietly. It is short enough that nothing needs performing; the words do the work.

In the programme, list it in the order of service as “Scripture Reading — Isaiah 41:10, 13” with the reader’s name beside it. The full text is public domain and may be printed on the life-story or back page.