Arms of Triumph

I’m back in England again, and today I have the joy of keeping one of my friend’s dogs — Trixie.  A few years ago, in her chasing squirrels mode, Trixie fell down a ravine and broke her back.  She went through surgery and many months of recovery.  Slowly, but surely, she regained the use of her back legs.  To see her trotting about now, one would not easily know she had ever been hurt.  There is definitely a weakness there, and care must be taken with her.  She still goes for massage therapy on a regular basis.

My apartment is on the second floor.  Can Trixie do the stairs?  Yes, but I don’t like to think of her going up and down them several times a day, which she will need to do as I live upstairs.  Such continual effort as that would cause her pain.  Is there a solution?  Yes, I will carry her.  Trixie is very light.  It’s no trouble at all to simply pick her up and carry her up and down the stairs.  Besides that, I think Trixie likes the attention and comfort of arms she trusts, holding her close, and a voice she knows, speaking joyfully to her, “We’re going for a walk, Trixie!”  or “It’s time to go up for dinner now, Trixie!”  or “Let’s go up and give you a massage, Trixie!”  She’s safe and happy in my arms.

Thinking of this made me think of you and me.  We have areas of our lives where we are weak.  Sometimes we are in difficult situations that scare us.  Sometimes we don’t know how we will get through a particular something.  What is the answer?  Let our Father hold you.  Let Him be your strength where you are weak.  Listen as He speaks His words of joy and comfort into your heart.  The strong arm of the Lord can do anything!  We know that because of Psalm 118:16, “The strong right arm of the Lord is raised in triumph.  The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things!”  

Try not to worry when the things of life around you seem unsurmountable.  God’s arms can carry you through, and don’t forget — He loves to hold you close, speaking words of comfort and joy to you.  If I love to hold close, and care for Trixie, how much more does our heavenly Father love to do the same thing for us?