Daily devotional, March 15, 2024 The crutch

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging." Psalm 46:1-3

For an injured person, crutches are a life-saver. Apart from the pain of the injury, the hassle of not being able to do what you usually can do can be frustrating. So with a crutch, a person who was previously hurt, and could still be hurting, can start to move on with his life again.

As followers of Jesus, we have a crutch that could help us move forward even as we incur injuries in our lives. Whether these are injuries we inflicted upon ourselves, or inflicted to us by others, our God promises to strengthen us so that we can power through and carry out His divine will.

"I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.Behold, he who keeps Israelwill neither slumber nor sleep." Psalm 121:1-4

When we recognize His presence in our life, we are gifted by the knowledge that the One who helps us is powerful beyond words. Unlike human beings that tire or grow weary of providing assistance and care, His care for us and ability to strengthen us is beyond measure:

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom." 
Isaiah 40:28

The thing is, not all of us tap into that source of strength, healing, power, and more importantly the blessing of abiding presence. We tend to gravitate towards human solutions to our problems. We run to what the world offers for our soul. When we are down, we crave connection and care from fellow humans who like us are feeble, and can tire of helping and caring for us. But when we do this, we are bound to be disappointed. These solutions are nothing but temporary — temporary joys and temporary relief. As followers of Jesus we must realize that in Him, we will be truly strong enough to carry on.

"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." 
Isaiah 40:29-31

So how do we draw strength from Jesus? Well, He has taught us how to this in many ways, but one of the most quoted was that from the Gospel of St. Matthew:

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

The first step is to seek God. How do we do that? Spend time with Him in prayer. Have an alone, quiet time with the Lord for at least two to three minutes per day if that is what all you can muster at first. Tell Him what is in your heart — your thank yous, your fears, your worries. Talk to Him as you would talk to a benevolent dad, who is ready to take you in, willing to listen to you, and help you solve all your concerns.

And then we listen to what he has to say. How do we do that?We dedicate time to read His words. If we can only muster one verse or passage, then so be it. What is important is after reading, we reflect on it with our sincere hearts and ask ourselves: what is this verse telling me? How do I apply it in my situation right now? Why did Jesus want me to read this at this particular moment?

As you grow in faith and lengthen your quiet time and bible reading time with the Lord, you will be surprised that you will have a hunger for His words, Hunger for His presence. And from there, you will have that strength that will support you in whatever season of your life.

"My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word." 
Psalm 119:28

His words will pervade in your senses as you endure trials and sufferings that are part of your life journey. You can move on because His presence and His promises are not just your crutch, but is your shield. When there are challenges, you will suddenly remember His words, and will be prompted to seek guidance from Him. More importantly, it is He whom you will run to, because forever in your heart, it is etched, that “He will never leave you nor forsake you,” (Deuteronomy 31:6).

Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on Psalm 121  to dig deeper on today’s topic.

Reflection Question: Where do you run to for help when you are troubled?

Conversation with the Lord: Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for being my ever=present help in times of trouble. Thank you that your abiding presence in my life allows me to endure the challenges that come with it. Thank you for being the Benevolent Heavenly Father that you are, and I pray that you grant me your abiding presence throughout my life. Amen.