How To Let God Carry You

This is Hans Schile from the Finishing Well Podcast.

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But most of all, thank you for listening and choosing the Truth Podcast Network. Today on Encouraging Prayer, we're going to talk about how to let God carry you. James? Well, there's a well-worn illustration, Ravi, that we're probably all familiar with, called Footprints in the Sand. And it goes something like this. Someone is walking on the beach, and they see two sets of footprints, and they realize it's their own prince, and they're walking with Jesus. And then you get to this lonely, difficult place, and there's only one set of prints. And the person says, Lord, why, when I was going through this hard time, did you leave me? Why was there only one set of prints? Right, and the way it finishes is the Lord says something like, My child, I never left you.

There's only one set of prints, because it's there that I carried you. That's right, yeah. And it's a little parable. It's not scriptural, but, you know, it kind of makes a point that a lot of people find helpful. Still, there's one thing about it that I'd like to change.

What's that? Well, why is it that in the parable we never seem to know that Jesus is carrying us? I mean, aren't there times in our lives when we're going through something tough, and we know that he's got us? You know, sometimes we're going through something, and you've heard people say it all the time. I don't know how I would have gotten through this without God. Yeah, you actually hear people say that all the time, and I've really experienced the same thing in my life many, many times.

Yeah, and me too. I mean, that's really a sense, if you will, of God carrying us. And that got me thinking, you know, what is it like to be carried by God? I mean, I know it.

You know it. We've encountered this again and again in going through life with Jesus, so can't we become more sensitive to this in such a way that we not only know and understand that God is carrying us, but enjoy it, and even ask him to pick us up and do what he said he would do? You know, as a shepherd with a lamb, hold us close to his heart. Oh, I like where you're going with this. I absolutely think that you're right.

I mean, after all, Jesus said, come to me, and you'll find rest for your souls. Yeah, yeah. I mean, that's just it. And the more I live with him, the more I'm learning that this is just a part of the normal rhythm of life with him. Think about Peter telling us to cast our cares on him because he cares for us. And one of the things that he's been teaching me lately is how I need to do that more and more with just everyday things. You know, not only those larger matters, those life-transforming things that I'm worried about, but even smaller things, you know, like things on my schedule as I go through the week. And as I do that and give him room to move in my life, I begin to sense him at work more. Yeah, I get that. It's like he's sometimes here when we pray that coincidences just happen more frequently.

Yeah, that's it. And it's when I give things up to him or give them over to him, instead of trying to work out everything myself, I find that solutions begin to come without my having to stress them the way I once did, you know? And as that happens, I begin to sense his presence more.

And really what I'm sensing is that he's carrying me. Oh yeah, I find the same thing to be true in my own life, and it really reminds me of a Scripture verse that kind of spells the whole thing out. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your request to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Yeah, yeah, Philippians 4. And I like that you said surpasses, which the ESV has, and not just transcends all understanding, which, you know, the NIV has. Because transcends could almost imply something unreachable, you know, something that's above us and we can't quite get to it. But surpasses is something that meets us where we are, and then he goes beyond us to a higher place, which is what happens when God is carrying us. You know, he meets us right where we are.

And again, we know what that's like. There's that understanding that he's getting us through. You know, we've been through those moments where even though our circumstances haven't changed, we have, you know, because he's with us. And, you know, our prodigal may be still running from God, that situation at work may still be difficult, we may be facing things in life that are hard, but when we get with God, and not just dump our cares down for him to, you know, take care of, you know, and then run on to the next thing, but, I mean, because when we do that, we pick him right up again, right? But if we take a moment longer to just be with him, to rest in him, to listen, then we become more aware of the truth that he really is near. It's like Jesus said, I won't leave you as orphans, I'll come to you. And it's not just a theological truth, it's actually a very personal one if we take the time to let him into those moments.

That's so right. I mean, let him into our lives, into our moments, you know, so let's talk about some practical ways we can do this when we pray. Yeah, I mean, it really can be very simple, as simple as, you know, exhaling and inhaling. You find a moment to be alone with the Lord, to actually rest in him, and as you do, you breathe out any worries or cares as a way of giving them to him in prayer. And then as you breathe in, you pray for more of him, you know, more of his peace, more of his love, more of his spirit to help you just get through life. And you might even flip your arms and ask God to pick you up, and if you do that, you'll find that God really does meet you there. And more and more, you'll begin to sense his peace. Again, it's like he picks us up and carries us.

It's a wonderful way to de-stress. Robbie, would you just wrap things up today by praying that we can all learn to make this more a part of our lives? Oh, Lord, yes, thank you. Jesus, I love this idea that you carry us and to become more aware of it. And so, Lord, I thank you for the offer, and I pray that each one who hears this today will consciously begin to think of how we can sense that, how we can engage in that, how we can ask for that. I pray that we would learn to lean more into you, that we might have more of you and more of the peace that comes as a result. Lord, we thank you so much for your leading in this and for James' work. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Amen. You can hear more from Pastor James by visiting his website, jamesbanks.org, or by visiting Peace Church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you as you pray.