Remembering - Pt 3

Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save. (Isaiah 46:3-4 ESV).

We are continuing the study of “Remembering” through the inspiration of the Book of Deuteronomy. Today’s reading is from the prophet Isaiah as he proclaims the words of the Lord to the nation of Israel at a particularly difficult time in the nation of Israel. You may recall my brief experience from yesterday’s devotional as I recounted receiving a telegram just before entering the sanctuary to preach my first sermon. It was from Deuteronomy 31:6. It has continued to shape and direct me throughout the years of ministry since. You may also recall that the first suggestion I called you attention to was: “God is our help. He can do to and for us the impossible to accomplish His will.” Not long ago I had a client who came in for their session and said, “Some days I wake up crying. When I do, I often don’t even know why. Perhaps it is the weight of unspoken problems that I’m too afraid to articulate, coupled with a vague dread of what might come next. Or perhaps it’s the growing realization that the pain I’m feeling will only intensify throughout the day.” That began one of the most difficult sessions I have had in recent memory. I knew their circumstance very well. In the midst of their deteriorating health there was also the complete abandonment from their family and friends. Divorce and separation from fiends who could no longer bear the weight of their depression and grief had led them to question whether God had forgotten them or not. “Your life is miserable. You’re a burden. You can’t do anything for yourself,” were the ugly voices they kept hearing from the moment they awoke each day. This is the point of remembering. God is for us. Even when life looks like it’s splintering, God is for us. He has unmistakably shown us that in Jesus. And, if God is for us, he is orchestrating everything in our lives for our good. We can trust him even when everything looks dark. The psalmist tells us this truth: For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life (Psalm 56:13 ESV). He indeed has delivered our soul from death. He has kept our feet from stumbling. He has empowered us to walk before him in his light, even though our legs and feet may have become increasingly frail, and walking is getting harder. He who created us knows every detail of our life, and he will keep us from falling. There is the answer. God IS our help. He has proven it and will continue to do so. Plant that thought in your mind as you take another step.