“Blessed be the Lord, Who daily bears us up…” – Psalm 68:19.

IF WE WERE to know of all the Lord’s dealings with us we would be awestruck. We are quick to forget all that He has done for us. No wonder David said, “forget not all His benefits” (Psalm 103:2). There are times when we feel with Asaph that God may have forgotten us or removed from us His compassion because of His discipline (Psalm 77:7-9). Asaph didn’t stay long with such a downcast perspective; he appealed it in the courts of the Most High and said, “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember Your wonders of old. I will ponder all Your work and meditate on Your mighty deeds” (verse11-12).

That we are not burned when we go through fire, nor overcome when we pass through deep water, is credited only to the Lord, Who daily bears us up. Just because we do not feel the grace of God does not mean it is absent. His grace protects us and shields us from so many dangers we are unaware of. God’s mercies are innumerable, even when we may feel the chastening rod; God’s love for us has not changed one iota.

David had such a revelation of God’s goodness and mercy that he exclaimed with such confidence that it would follow him all the days of his life (Psalm 23:6). The incredible sufficiency of God’s grace is already laid up for absolutely everything we are going to face – yes, even in our days of failure and stupidity. That is why we need the Shepherd. How often has He restored us and not forsaken us? None of us can count.

“He daily bears us up” and I would draw out from within that ‘daily’ to also mean moment by moment. We do not see the angels that God commands concerning us to guard us in all our ways (Psalm 91:11) – “On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone” (verse 12).

We, who are of infinite value to God when compared to the birds of the air that He feeds so well and the flowers of the field that He clothes so luxuriously – His undying peculiar care of us shall not end. He Who will keep us as the apple of His eye shall never be unmindful of us. O this is not selfishness; this is rousing our soul to bless the Lord with all that we are; it is to build our confidence in God whereby He is most glorified.