Help for Heavy Burdens
William Louis Dike
The Upper Room May-June 2010
The Upper Room Inc.

Be strong and of good courage. Do not be afraid or dismayed…for there is one greater with us than with (the king of Assyria.)  With him is an arm of flesh;  but with us is the Lord our God   2 Chronicles 32: 7-8

Hezekiah's many faithful acts are recorded in the Bible.  He learned that in every circumstances there was his part and there was God's part.  Such was the case as he encountered Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, whose intent was to capture Jerusalem.  King Hezekiah did all he could to prevent an Assyrian victory.  He built walls, made weapons and shields, organized the people, and stopped the flow of water to the springs from which the enemy drank.  Having done his part, Hezekiah called on God to do the rest of what was needed.

Occasionally, we need to be reminded that a portion of life's task is ours to do.  But we should also remember that there are times when life's burdens can become overwhelming, when we find we cannot manage life's demands by ourselves. That's when it's time to remember we are not alone. We do our part, of course, but when adversity comes, we turn to the Lord for help.  Our faithfulness will be rewarded as God gives us strength sufficient for our tasks, strength beyond our own

Prayer:  Helper of the helpless, empower us to trust you more.  Make us aware of your hand holding ours.  Let us be assured that when all other helpers fail, you remain present. Amen

Thought for the day:  Life is meant to be a partnership between us and God.

Reflection
One retreat I was inspired to think about
The presence of the Lord within me.
I designated the right side of me to the Lord
And the left side of me to myself.
Whatever I do, both my right and left side are involved in it.
It helps me to remember how God is working in my life.
When I do centering prayer,
I keep my right and left hand from touching one another
to remind myself that my responsibility at that time
is to simply to be silent and be aware
of the presence and action of God in my life.  crsr