“You, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.” Psalm 3:3

Sometimes the Lord brings hard things to our lives or allows difficult situations, painful ones.

Sometimes He brings in or allows the most devastating of circumstances.

And we are numb, unable to process where we are.

The oft spoken, “God will never give you more than you can handle” is false.

Often what comes into our lives is far more than we can handle but never more than we can handle with Christ as our captain, our stronghold, the Rock on which we stand, and the One who, when we can no longer stand, carries us over, under, and through the waves.

In Christ, we are not alone.

I was reminded of His great and precious promises by a much loved eight year old going through his own fears but leaning on the promises and truths he knows, found in part in Psalm 23, and on which he stands.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”  (Psalm 23:4)

“He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young.” (Isaiah 40:11)

What a beautiful picture of the tender care and protection of our God who, like a shepherd with his staff, draws us to Himself and keeps us; who reminded His people in the actual desert but also promises us the same in our own desert .

“...the LORD your God is the One who is going with you. He will not desert you or abandon you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

His presence is sure, His Spirit comforting in ways we would never imagine.

And He sends His people, our people to lift weary heads, to give their shoulders that the tired one might stand up on them, above the fray, and breathe, and who, like Aaron to Moses, will lift up the arms of the weary to give us strength.

In the Bible, we read of a man who was ill for quite some time.  He didn’t have the faith or the physical ability to go to Jesus so his friends took him to Him, lowered him through a roof to lay him before the feet of Jesus.

In our time, there are those weary, torn, sad, afraid, unsure of what is next.

We can be the ones to take them to Jesus, to lay them before the throne of grace, before our Savior’s feet and entrust them to Him.

We can remind them of the trusts of who God is and the promises on which we can stand regardless of the circumstances or outcome.

We can walk their hard road and weep with them.

We can listen without a word if need be.

We can love them with the love of Christ in whatever way they need.

See the need.

Know the heart.

Love well.

But go in the strength of Him who has said:

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire, you shall not be burned,and the flames shall not consume you.

For I Am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” (Isaiah 42:1-3)