sustainer
In the midst of the unknowns and uncertainties of our days, He sustains us. In those anxious days or weeks or seasons, He sustains.
I've been dwelling on that a lot lately; depending on that actually, to endure and persevere through the unknowns. Through the waiting seasons when the end looks like it's right in front of you, only to prove otherwise. I've been dwelling on these passages to do with the Lord sustaining us.
In the context of Nehemiah, the people had just gone through a time of revival from hearing the Word read by Ezra and with broken hearts, repented of their rebellious stubborn hearts and the priests offered a prayer of praise and reflection on their past that the Lord has redeemed them from and had used to draw them back to Him:
"Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the wilderness...You gave your good Spirit to instruct them...For forty years you sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing, their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen." Nehemiah 9:19-21
Think on this. Forty years. Forty years He provided and sustained them. They never went without their needs being met. When they lost perspective of where they came from and what the Lord promised to bring them to, yes they lost perspective, trust, and hope, and complained to the Lord for their wandering years. I've lived a little over half that amount of time in the comfort of having a home, shelter, and food and never without. I don't want to complain as I sojourn my days in this life. Perspective is an inner working that externally manifest itself. That's another post for another day.
"Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my soul." Psalm 54:4
"Sustain me, my God, according to your promise, and I will live; do not let my hopes be dashed." Psalm 119:116
Do you know His promises to cling to? His Word is filled with His promises. Get to know them by being in the Word.
"Let me live that I may praise you, and may your laws sustain me." Psalm 119:175
Notice the means that the psalmist is sustained. "Your laws", the Word of God. Just as food sustains you for the day, so I hunger and need the Word as my food to sustain me through the day.
"Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken." Psalm 55:22
The sustaining comes from casting your cares on Him, giving Him the cares of your heart and life. Handing them over to Him. We are not intended to carry the weight of worry on us but to hand it over to Him to carry that load and take on his burden that is easy and light (Matt 11:28-30).
"You make your saving help my shield, and your right hand sustains me; your help has made me great." Psalm 18:35
It is His doing, His help that makes us great. In His presence we have fullness of joy!
"Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you." Isaiah 46:4
To trust in and walk in Him now and for our days because He sustains us and renews our strength.
"The sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by mornings, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed." Isaiah 50:4
Those who refresh others are themselves refreshed (Proverbs 11:25). When you've experience and can walk in His ways, share that life and joy with others to help carry and sustain them (2 Cor 1:3-5). That's the beauty of the church and being in and surrounded by a community of believers who are in your life. Invest in others what has been invested in you.
"The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word." Hebrews 1:3
"I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me." Psalm 3:5
I've been trying to make this a habit when I go to sleep at night. Of all the places my mind wants to wonder and think about that could, and has, kept me up to late hours of the night, I try to make the act of giving all the concerns of my heart and mind to Him with an open hand and then to receive the gift of sleep He gives us. I mean all of us love sleep. Some nights we cannot wait to climb into that oasis we call bed and hit the pillow and let go of the weight and cares of the day to stop and rest for the night, hoping to be refreshed in the morning only to wake up many mornings thinking how you cannot wait to get back in.
Sleep is a gift and God designed our bodies with the need to stop, rest, and sleep. God demonstrated the pattern of work and rest and although He does not have a need for sleep, nor does He sleep, He desired to show us a pattern and attitude to follow by resting on that seventh day of creation. In our sleep, He sustains us. Stop and think about it. It's a vulnerable place to sleep. You check out of everything around you and trust that you can "shut down" and sleep for so many hours in the night. The Lord sustains us and gives us life in our sleep. You entrust your life to Him when you lie down to sleep and we awakes us anew in the morning.
The bookends to sleep I've been trying to keep: wake up expecting God, end your day remembering Him before you sleep. Expect to see Him in the ever day occurrences of the day. Expect Him to give you opportunities to show grace, love, to see Him if we are willing, watchful, and mindful of. Expect Him to empower you to make it through a day, the ease and the difficulties.
My sleep is a measure of my peace, rest, and trust in the Lord.
When you think you have nothing left, come to the end, or can't make it another step, He sustains. He is Lord over all our days.
For now listen to and soak in the words of this song called "You Are More" by Hillsong
"You are Lord over all my days. I will see this season through. I will fix my eyes on You. Only You."
Posted in: on Wednesday, August 3, 2011 at
