Words of Comfort, Hope and Joyಮಾದರಿ

While adoring the Lord, who performs marvels on a cosmic scale and wins battles for his people, Psalm 68 suddenly shifts to what he does for his people. The Lord, who amazes them with his cosmic spectacles, is present on earth with his people to “bear” them up.

Israel has seen the power of the Lord in the past as they travelled as unarmed nomads through the wilderness. “O God, when you went out before your people, when you marched through the wilderness, the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel” (Psalm 68:7—8, ESV).

The Psalmist described that when the Lord went ahead of them, clearing obstacles, the earth quaked with each step, and the sky poured out rain. The Red Sea blocked their path, and the dry land had no food or water. Finally, they crossed the overflowing Jordan to reach the promised land. They made it!

The Psalmist captures their experience: “He bore us up.” The verb “bear up” in the original language conveys the sense of carrying a burden (on the head or shoulders) from one point to another. Prophet Isaiah expands the scope of their experience, stating that the Lord has been carrying his people during their wilderness wandering and since their birth. “Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb” (Isaiah 46:3, ESV).

The narrow escapes from accidents, the strength to carry on during tough times, and the uplift when our spirits fail—all have a straightforward explanation: The Lord is bearing us upon his shoulders and let his name be praised.

Remember today that God is carrying you through every challenge, just as he bore his people through the wilderness. When feeling weak or overwhelmed, lean into his strength and let him bear your burdens.