Relief

If I’m honest with myself, most days are good days.

That doesn’t mean that all days are good days, or that most days are great days, but God has been gracious to me, and most days I’m reminded of that grace in more ways than I can count, and that makes the day good.

Some days, however, are heavy. Whether it’s a cummulation of minor things that become major in their aggregate, or a heavy loss or burden, some days are hard, difficult, and a challenge to get through. It’s those days that I find myself crying out to my Abba Father for relief – from simple escape from the heaviness that fills my heart.

Most of the time, I’m asking for relief from the situation; I want the circumstances to change so that they will no longer bother me. God, sometimes, but rarely provides that. Instead, He removes the heaviness of my heart. The situation usually does not change, at least in the short term, but as He walks through the trial with me, He provides comfort and peace.

As Psalm 94:19 says:

“When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.”

The heavier my heart is, the more He bears the load. When my cares are multiplied, so are His consolations. When storms rage, He brings peace.

He provides relief. Not by obliterating all my cares, but by overwhelming them with His grace.