God carrying us

“And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the LORD thy God bore thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place.” - Deuteronomy 1v31

I love the word pictures in the Bible. As Moses told the children of Israel about their wanderings in the wilderness he used a beautiful illustration and one every parent can relate to – “God carried you like a man carries his son.”

As our children were growing I remember often hearing the phrase, “Carry Daddy” always said with outstretched arms. Think of when we carry our children. We do it when they are tired, fearful, or sometimes even when they are just lazy.

This is such a precious picture, of a father carrying his child. If I were a poet I could wax eloquent and paint a beautiful word picture. Nonetheless, God has chosen a great illustration for us.

What did Israel do when God carried them? The Bible says that they still rejected Him and refused to acknowledge Him. They seem more a like bold child who wants out of Daddy’s arm to run and get into mischief.

Think of all the time God has carried you through a dark and troublesome situation. Over and over in our lives He has lovingly scooped us up. The wonderful poem called “Footprints in the sand” comes to mind. These are the words of the last lines:

"LORD, you said that once I decided to follow
you, you'd walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most
troublesome times in my life,
there is only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why when
I needed you most you would leave me."

The LORD replied:

"My son, my precious child,
I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you."

Remember today that we have a loving God Who longs to carry us along the way. Don’t struggle to flee from His arms. Let Him carry you along.