"The Lord sustains all who fall and raises up all who are bowed down" - Psalm 145:14
let that really sink in for a minute....
this is such a simple verse yet jam packed with all sorts of encouragement and amazing characteristics about God. "The Lord sustains ALL who fall" - all of us who are drowning in life and swallowed up by the details of day to day "stupid stuff" that just doesn't matter....I think most everyone would fit into category! God loves us and sustains us ALL! No matter our circumstances He "raises up ALL who are bowed down"!
i've had an amazing opportunity to sit down and chat with so many people who are in so many different places in life. these discussion have opened my eyes to a world of hurting people. some of these people know and follow Jesus, while others i talk to have either been burned by relationships in the church or have simply never been a part of a community of Christ followers. however, the common thread in all of my conversations is that these people are hurting. some hurt on different levels in our eyes but i can't help but wonder what that hurt looks like to Jesus....what does He see? i've been praying that God would give me eyes and a heart to see and love people the way that He loves us. i caught myself (ashamedly) trying to categorize the levels of hurt that these people were experiencing and then God put this verse on my heart. i could be wrong about this but i do not think that God sees levels of hurt. i don't think that He looks at us and tries to prioritize who is hurting the most. He loves us all. He sustains us ALL and he raises up ALL who are bowed down. so no matter what the hurt looks like to us...it's a BIG DEAL to Him! We are His kids - when you hurt, He rushes to you ready to wrap His arms around you and hold you and SUSTAIN you!! All we have to do is call on Him.
what is weighing you down? what burden is so heavy on your heart/mind/soul that it is literally causing you to cave in? i definitely have those burdens on me now but i know that there is a God who sustains me and raises me up when i am burdened. He looks on me with a love and with a compassion that i simply cannot understand. another question to ask yourself is....do you know someone that is hurting? do you know someone that is so buried under life that they can't live it out the way that Jesus intended us to (fully)?
there is hope and peace and grace and love and passion readily available to us to free us from everything we find ourselves burdened by......we simply have to give it to Him - give it up and let it go!
Wow. This was such a great reminder for me today. I often tell myself my situations aren't as bad as others and while I do think it's helpful to realize the situations of others it's also very comforting (and overwhelming in a good way) to know that He sustains us. Thanks for sharing friend.
ReplyDeleteIt just hit me the title of your blog -- Discovering Me. I love that!
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