Consider this; there was a man by the side of an old dirt road on his way home. He had been traveling for a long while and now sat with his head in his hands, exhausted. Next to him was a duffle bag filled to the brim.
A man walked by and when he saw the traveler, he quickly kept on going. Another man came along and offered to help. He walked with the man for a mile, but then left him to continue on his own. A third man saw the struggling man, and picked up the bag for him. He walked with him for two miles.
After lugging his bag a few miles further on his own, the weary and now wounded traveler sat down again, unsure if he could go on–not knowing if he would ever make it to his destination. As night began to fall, a fourth man came along, laid the man across his shoulder, hoisted the bag with his other arm and carried him home.
Jesus not only carries our burdens, but He will carry us as well when we cannot go on by ourselves. He is the fourth man in the fire [Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel Chapter 3)]. He doesn’t only go the extra mile, He goes the entire distance. He doesn’t leave us, and He doesn’t walk on by.
When studying Acts, one of the first things that stood out to me was how Jesus walked with the disciples on the road to Damascus. He meets us where we are and walks with us, teaching us and helping us grow, so that we can walk with Him. No matter where we are in life or where we go in this world, He is with us, and when the need arises, He will carry us.
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
- 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” - Matthew 11:28-29 (NIV)
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
- John 14:6 (ESV)
“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”” - John 8:12 (ESV)
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
- Psalm 119:105 (ESV)
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
- 2 Corinthians 5:7 (ESV)
“And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.” - Leviticus 26:12 (ESV)
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” - Isaiah 43:2 (ESV)
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” - Psalm 23:4 (ESV)
“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
- Colossians 1:13-14 (ESV)
“but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
- Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
- Isaiah 41:10 (ESV)
“Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. Selah” - Psalm 68:19 (ESV)
“I will exalt you, Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me. You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit. Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people; praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” - Psalm 30:1-5 (NIV)
These passages are so encouraging. The following passage comes from the book of Psalms. It was written by David–a man who went through a lot of troubled times. Through it all, God was with David, and David learned to rely upon God. The following Psalm gives us a glimpse into the relationship that David had with God–a relationship that we all can have with God.
“For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? “Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful. I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—when I awake, I am still with you.”
- Psalm 139:1-18 (NIV)
Click the following link below to listen to the Hymn: "Jesus Will Walk With Me" by the Haven of Rest Quartet
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