SCRIPTURE
“Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all you who remain of the house of Israel, you whom I have upheld since you were conceived, and have carried since your birth. Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you and I will rescue you.” Isaiah 46:3-4
SPOTLIGHT
One night I dreamed a dream.
As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.
Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,
One belonging to me and one to my Lord.
After the last scene of my life flashed before me,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,
especially at the very lowest and saddest times,
there was only one set of footprints.
This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.
"Lord, You said once I decided to follow You,
You'd walk with me all the way.
But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,
there was only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me."
He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you,
never, ever, during your trials and testings.
When you saw only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you."
Are the words of this well-known poem just words, or is there any truth to them? How can a person be confident that those are God’s Footprints in the sand?
Unexpectedly, a friend of mine faced his darkest hour. His wife had gone into the hospital for a knee replacement. Complications developed and he was told she had cancer throughout her body giving her very little time to live. His best friend lay on a hospital bed unable to communicate. He had two children and the youngest was graduating from high school. Finances were very tight, so his wife had also been employed. Suddenly he was thrust into his darkest hour. Sleepless nights followed the first days of sadness.
Once, I texted him saying, “Hi friend. I just want you to be reminded that I am praying for you like many others. God will carry you through.” He responded, “Thank you. He must.”
God spoke through the prophet Isaiah, in Isaiah 46:3,4.
Please note God’s four declarations:
1. I have made you.
2. I will carry you.
3. I will sustain you.
4. I will rescue you.
God your Heavenly Father created you. He did not abandon you. God has promised to carry you when you cannot take another step. He promises to give you the physical, mental, and emotional strength you could never imagine. And most of all, God your Heavenly Father has promised to deliver you from your pain, and sorrow, to the point that you will recover and be healed.
By the way, God did keep this promise for my friend.
SOMETHING TO DO
Remember times when God carried you. Recall situations when you were facing immense problems that were so overwhelming, that you wondered if you would be able to face another day. Write them down and share one of them with a family member, or friend, so that they will see how caring God is.
If you are having difficulty remembering times when God carried you, remember this; sometimes you may not have realized that your strength came from God. Sometimes you may have given yourself all the credit. Pray asking God to remind you of how He carried, sustained and rescued you. Let Him show you His Footprints in the sand.
SOUL TIME PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank You for creating me, carrying me sustaining me, and rescuing me. Thank You for not abandoning me. AMEN!