You Raise Me Up
“I’ll refresh tired bodies; I’ll restore tired souls.” (Jeremiah 31:25, MSG)
Sometimes in my devotion time I find a nugget and save it for later. This little sentence was a gem because I love to analyze and then yes, believe it or not—I complain. Maybe I don’t do it out loud but I grumble to myself. However, these words offer no wiggle room and I feel exposed.
“Accept each day exactly as it comes to you.”
Yikes, how do any of us do this? Are we talking circumstances, moods or bodily condition? Exactly what are we talking about? I think this is referring to all of them! Life is kind of a balancing act and some days our situations are heavily wearing on us; sometimes our bodies are just plain tired and to top it all off, those things make us moody and unpredictable. When the demands of the day feel far greater than our strength, what do we do?
Here are two very clear options - do we throw our hands in the air and quit? Do we dig our stubborn heels in deeper and continue on? There is probably a third choice and that might be the best one yet. What if we stopped right when we begin to feel overwhelmed and ask for God’s help? How do you think the day might turn out differently?
Even if we choose wrongly, He does not reject us. In fact, He takes our hand and gently pulls us out of the quick sand before we go under. What a loving and caring God!
He knows far better than you or I what we can manage and how best to teach us life lessons with our strengths and weaknesses. I am convinced that He does not give us more than we can handle but sometimes He leaves us hanging by a thin knot at the end of a frayed rope to build trust.
Be assured that He knows your name and the purpose for which He created you. Your requests are both a blessing to you and to Him. He knows your needs and He loves to bless you.
Father God, in my frailty, help me to remember Your strength. In my rejoicing, help me to thank You. AMEN.