During this Lent season, it’s especially comforting to meditate on what God is like and how he feels about us. We can direct our thoughts to our kind, unchanging God even when our emotions are fluctuating.  Some days it’s easy to feel discouraged.  But God is always patient and never forsakes us.  Instead of dwelling on our disappointments or physical ailments, let’s intentionally direct our thoughts to the One who promises to tenderly care for us.  Think of the heart of God towards us!  God made us and takes responsibility to carry and sustain us from birth to old age.  Dear Husband and I have the flu this week.  I was glad I’d been meditating on the fact that God carries us.  When we just can’t carry on as normal, he carries us.  Here is a short list of God’s promises from just one passage in Isaiah.  He:
Made us
Upheld us since birth
Sustains us
Carries us
Rescues us

“Listen to me, you whom I have upheld since your birth, and have carried since you were born.
Even to your old age and gray hairs
I am he, I am he who will sustain you
I have made you and I will carry you;
I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”  Isaiah 46:3-4

We all have stories about how God has helped us.  Why not tell someone this week of a time when God took care of you?  Those of us who are older have a lot of God stories.  Our grandchildren and other younger people need to hear our real-life stories about the wonderful things God did for us.  Of course, we don’t want to monopolize conversations, but a short true story can fan the flames of faith in the next generation.  Often we hesitate to tell our stories because they don’t seem dazzling or adventurous.  But someone needs to hear the story of how you decided to trust Jesus, or how you met your spouse,  a time when God helped a family member get better, or people God brought into your life to help you.  These stories are the legacy of faith that we pass down to strengthen the faith of the next generation.

“O Lord, you alone are my hope.
I’ve trusted you, O Lord, from childhood.
Yes, you have been with me from birth;
from my mother’s womb you have cared for me.
No wonder I am always praising you!”  Psalm 71:5-6

Our God is uniquely equipped to carry out his promises.  He is the only person in the universe who can 100% make good on his plans.  We can rest in his capability and his intentions.  He:
Keeps his promises
Is always in charge
Directs future events

“I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me.
I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come.
What I have said, that I will bring about;
what I have planned, that I will do.”  Isaiah 46:9,11

I love the word picture of God carrying us.  It reminds me of that poem about footprints in the sand where the poet looks back on his life and sees two pairs of footprints in the sand, but suddenly there is only one set of footprints.  He wonders why God left him in those difficult times.  But the Lord explained that the reason there was one set of footprints isn’t that God left him in hard times, but that at precisely those times the Lord was carrying him.

“In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. . .  you, Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name.”  Isaiah 63:9,16

Knowing that a powerful and kind God has sustained us from birth and will continue to care for us till death and beyond should motivate us to tell others about him.  We can help the generations coming after us by telling them how much God has done and is doing for us.  This will encourage them to trust God, too.  Who can you share a God story with?  How has God helped you?  What has he done for you?  

“I will praise you more and more.
I will tell everyone about your righteousness.
All day long I will proclaim your saving power,
though I cannot count it.
I will praise your mighty deeds, O Sovereign Lord.
I will tell everyone that you alone are just.
O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood,
and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do.
Now that I am old and gray,
do not abandon me, O God.
Let me proclaim your power to this new generation,
your mighty miracles to all who come after me.
Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens.
You have done such wonderful things.
Who can compare with you, O God?
I will tell about your righteous deeds
all day long.”  Psalm 71:14-19, 24

And beyond this life, David looked forward to a happy life after death.
“You have allowed me to suffer much hardship,
but you will restore me to life again
and lift me up from the depths of the earth.
You will restore me to even greater honor
and comfort me once again. I will shout for joy and sing your praises,
for you have ransomed me.”  Psalm 71:20-21,23

‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
Revelation 21:4

If you were going to write a few sticky notes to remind yourself How God feels about you, which promises would you jot down?  I picked:
I will carry you
I will sustain you
I will rescue you.  Isaiah 46
Maybe you picked:
You have been with me
You have cared for me.  Psalm 71

Or did you pick these?:
You have been my strength and protection
You will restore me
You lift me up. Psalm 71

If you were going to write down some of God’s attributes in your planner which phrases would you choose?  I picked:
Love and mercy
Our Redeemer
Sovereign Lord
What I have planned, I will do
I am God and there is no other.
Maybe you picked:
Miracle worker
Righteous
Glorious
Savior
Father
Hope

What stories of God taking care of you could you recount to someone?  Which descriptive word about God will you take into your life this week?