Soul Spring Cleaning: Day 3
Welcome back, friend. Day 1 we looked at having waved-based identities and anchor-based identities. Day 2 we talked about the fact that God listens to us, even if He doesn't come down with arrows and burning coal. And now Day 3.
“He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters.
He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me,for they were too mighty for me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my support.
He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.”
I remember being 9 months pregnant and trying to stand up from a low squat at the library. This went poorly. In fact, I went nowhere at all. I had gotten myself into this position and there was no way out. I was about to resign myself to living in this squat for the rest of my life. To being a permanent fixture at the public library. To hearing, "Oh, that's just Amy over there" whispered by other patrons coming and going for years. This was my lot.
But the grace of God arrived through another compassionate mom. We laughed as she extended a hand and supported me to an upright posture. Praise Jesus. She was my dire support in a socially awkward library situation.
In a slightly different way than a pregnant mom on a library floor, David says God was his support. The very word means "to bear all or part of the weight of; hold up." Is there something in your life right now that needs major support? That has such weight that you can no longer bear it? Maybe your job is bearing down on you. Or your marriage. Or your lack of certainty of the future. Whatever the biggest weight is right now, you need a support that has a mighty arm.
Take a minute and just imagine God coming down to you and lifting that weight up, holding it for you, and then also holding you up. Imagine Him supporting you. Picture yourself lighter and freer. See how strong He is and how He delights in doing this for you. How He delights in you and in rescuing you from the weight of your load. Notice that He does not struggle with your load because of how strong He is. Take a deep breath because you no longer carry this load, God does. Rest and exhale because you are lighter. You are freer. Your load is easy. Come back to this visual throughout your day when you try to carry that weight again.
God as our support reminds me of this sweet statement from Jesus:
“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” ”
Not only is He our support, but He brings us to broad, spacious places where we can stand securely. With plenty of room. Plenty of hope. Plenty of support. All because He delights in us.
How have you seen God plant your feet on firm footing? In a spacious place? Is it in your church, your neighborhood, your workplace? Has He provided a spacious place through a relationship or a healing journey or an experience? Thank Him for His provision. He is good. He rescues. He gives us freedom and it's all from a place of great delight in His heart for us.
What a fresh perspective we can have if we take a minute and use the gift of imagination to see God at work in our lives. To see Him lift loads and provide spacious places. To see Him bring a springtime hope in the middle of a wintery soul.
Dear God, We need to see you lifting our loads and being our support. Thank you that you offer to take our heavy yokes of rules, expectations, sin, defeat, and damage and to trade them in for your easy and light yoke. Your yoke that is peaceful, joyful, restful, and hopeful. Thank you that you delight in us as you do all of this. Thank you that you are not annoyed in rescuing us–it is your great delight to do so. It is your pleasure. We love you. Amen.