Sustaining Grace

God can hold the whole of me

I was praying this morning for a few friends who are walking long, hard roads. I asked God to support them, to strengthen them. And then, at the end of my prayer, the word sustain caught on my heart as it left my lips. Sustain them, I prayed. Give them sustaining grace. Grace for the long haul.

Sometimes we need momentary grace — help in time of need. And sometimes, sometimes friend, we need sustaining grace. Grace that lasts. Grace that stretches over the wide expanse of desert sands. Grace that possibly holds more than helps.

“Cast your burden on the Lord — releasing the weight of it — and He will sustain you” Psalm 55:22 (Amplified).

The use of the word burden in the above Scripture refers not just to the load we bear, but to the lot we’ve been given in life (take a deep breath and think about that for a moment).

And while sustain means to nourish and provide sustenance, it also means to contain. To hold.

In other words, God can hold the whole of me. Indeed, God always has.

I was reminded of this beautiful truth last Monday, on the morning of my 60th birthday. God’s gift to me came through the prophet Isaiah yet again.

“Listen to me, [Jennifer Lynn Gehman], you whom I have upheld since your birth, and have carried since you were born. 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 … I will carry you as I always have” Isaiah 46:3-4 (NIV / Voice).

God holds the whole of me, the whole way through. All the way home.

Sustaining grace, how sweet the sound,
that holds the whole of me.
There is no weight You cannot bear,
I rest myself in Thee.

Sustaining Grace: Our Little Life Words of the week.

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DEEPER DIVE

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Ponder: 

What does your lot in life feel like? Describe it using as many descriptive words as you can.

What feelings arise in you as you think about “releasing the weight” of the burden you bear — of your lot in life or your load? Is there any resistance?

Practice:

Ask someone to carry something for you this week. Pay attention to how it feels to ask, and how it feels to allow them to do so.

Play:

The song we’re playing this week is: I Can’t Stand Up Alone by Jesse Winchester.

Pray:

God of all grace, sustain me and see me through.