“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; even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save. ‘ – Isaiah 46:3-4

I remember carrying my two boys around when they were little guys. Then the years passed and I carried my parents around, and today my wife and I carry her parents around. And the day will come when our boys will carry us around. Over the years, we all need someone to carry us, from birth to old age. 

The Lord reminded his people that no matter how stressful the days were or would be, he would be there to carry them through. He was there when they were young and he will be there even to their old age, to gray hairs he would carry them. While others may abandon them in heat of battle, the LORD himself would faithfully carry them.

I will never forget looking down into the eyes of my little son, his arms lifted up, waiting for me to carry him. Have you ever needed the mighty arms of God to lift you up and carry you? Do you wonder if he will be there when your strong muscles weaken and the gray hairs take over? Remember... he carried you before birth and he will be there even to your old age. And one day he will come and will carry you to himself, that where he is you may be also. (John 14:3)     

FOOTPRINTS

One night I had a dream--
I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord
and across the sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints,
one belonged to me and the other to the Lord.
When the last scene of my life flashed before me,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that many times along the path of my life,
there was only one set of footprints.
I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest
and saddest times in my life.
This really bothered me and I questioned the Lord about it.
"Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,
you would 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 in times when I needed you most,
you should leave me."
The Lord replied, "My precious, precious child,
I love you and I would never, never leave you
during your times of trial and suffering.
"When you saw only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you."

...Mary Stevenson