I've spent a lot of time in Psalm 121 since the day it became my anchor while living in the ICU waiting room all those years ago. It was then that I realized the nurses and doctors were great - and doing a wonderful job, but they were not my help. I understood the only "help" I would get would be from the One who could sustain my soul.
This morning, I was reading Isaiah 41, and three times, God said through the prophet, I will help you. Three times is a good sign if you're into the numbers of things. Each time God promised to help - He prefaced it with Fear not. As I was reading, I thought, who is this talking to? Is it applicable to me?
So I looked at where the discourse started in verse 8. God's speaking through the prophet Isaiah to His children. He calls out the Children of Israel, the descendants of Abraham. And there you go - that's us! We are the spiritual descendants of Abraham by faith. (Galatians 3:26-29) That gives me a free license to claim this passage, right?
God is reaffirming that He's got everything under control and that He is stepping in to help His kids. That's saying a lot because, for many caregivers, there is little to no help. Some of us work pretty much 24/7 without relief. Hiring help to sit with our loved ones or to help with chores around the house is sometimes out of reach. Even ordering groceries and necessities through today's apps (which are wonderful!) gets expensive. Physical help is something most of us are short on. But spiritually, we have all the help we need.
As I continue reading in this 41st chapter of Isaiah, God repeats several things to His children. It's comforting to know that He knows where our hearts are and speaks to that. Here are a few of this chapter's repeats:
- Fear not
- I am with you
- I will hold your right hand
- I will help you
He sees that His children were afraid. He sees they felt alone. He sees that they needed to be lifted up. He sees they need help. He sees us. He feels us. He gets us.
Today, I will continue to remind myself that when it seems no one else gets me - God does. I'll remind myself that He sees all the frustration, the grief, the torment, and the load we carry as caregivers. And He extends His hand toward us. I'll listen for Him to whisper I will help you to my soul today. Will you join me?
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