Right Beside Me!

This morning, I found myself in Psalm 16. There were several scriptures that stood out to me. However, verse 8 tugged at my heart the longest. In the New Living Translation, verse 8 says, I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me. It seems this verse can be broken down into three powerful parts. 

• Affirmation: I know the Lord is always with me.
• Declaration: I will not be shaken.
• Confirmation: He is right beside me.

I am currently working on a new book of affirmations for caregivers. This verse is likely to be the next one I use! To know that God is with us is empowering. He will not leave us. God never shakes His head at our circumstances and says it's just too much for Him. He doesn't say it's too complicated or complex that He just "can't deal." He just continues to stay with us, never abandoning us to our crazy thoughts or out-of-control emotions. He remains. That's a powerful positive for the caregiver.

Over the last couple of years, I have learned (and harped on) making our soul declaration. Since we know that God is with us, we can declare I will not be shaken. It doesn't matter if we say it with shaky voices and trembling hands standing on a quaking fault line. Life will not shake our souls loose from God. I find great comfort and security in this truth.

And thirdly, the phrase that got seriously stuck in my mind this morning. He is right beside me. He's not just "with" us - He remains by our sides. He doesn't work ahead of us and tell us to meet Him at the next pass. God's not ascending the mountain before us supernaturally and telling us to meet us at the top. No matter how fast or slow we move, or even if we sit down to cry for a bit, He just stays right by our side. Comforting. Consoling. Counseling. You name it - He is there with us for and through it all.

Today, I will rejoice that God is walking on this caregiving journey with me - right beside me. I only have to look toward Him to see that He remains close and never moves away. I'll remind myself that not only is He "with" me - but He remains up close and personal - right in my personal space - beside me. I'll think back about the times I've felt that I've faltered in my faith and remind myself that He has caught me every single time. I can trust that He is also in my today. Will you join me?

                                                                                                                     

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