Psalm 68:19-20 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
who daily bears our burdens.
Our God is a God who saves;
from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.

Verse 19 has been impressive to me for a long time, but I realize that it needs to be taken with verse 20 to get a fuller picture of God. The impressive thing about verse 19 is the simple word, daily. God doesn’t just save us once, He is concerned about every detail of our existence. This is what Jesus was talking about when He said that God keeps track of how many hairs we have on our heads, (Matthew 10:30) and that God knows what we need before we ask Him. (Mat­thew 6:8) However, as wonderful as that is, God isn’t just interested in our having a smooth life here on earth, He wants us with Him for eternity. God’s salvation from death is eternal, as John 3:16 and many other verses point out. Our thinking about God often leans one direction or the other. Either we get so wrapped up in the details of our lives that we fail to see the eternal glory that is set before us, (2 Corinthians 4:17) or we fail to take our daily troubles to God and release them to Him. (1 Peter 5:7) The devil wants to keep us in the dark about both the short-term and the long-term salvation that is available in Christ, but if he can’t manage both, he’ll settle for one or the other. As Paul points out again and again, God doesn’t want us to be ignorant. (Romans 11:25 and several more) We need to keep our focus on the reality that God cares about us in the small things and the large, from now through eternity.

This is a very timely reminder. I’m dealing with people who are overwhelmed with details to the point that they can’t see the goal that is ahead of them, and at the same time they can’t believe that God is going to help them get through each of those details. I was given a taste of what they are feeling just this morning, as I woke up thinking about all sorts of details I need to deal with, most of which I have already let slide, to some degree at least. Looking at it objectively, it is very interesting to see how such things, relatively minor in themselves, can add up to fairly significant depression. That’s certainly a trick the devil uses to rob us of joy and peace, and I must not let him get away with it, either in my life or in the lives of those under my care. I have never cared for “to do” lists, but I think I need to overcome that distaste. I need to remember that God is concerned about every detail, so if I walk in active trust I will be able to get it all done. That’s exactly the message I need to convey so some of those in my care, but I’ve got to walk it out even as I share it with them.

Father, I continue to be impressed with Your patience toward me. Things like this, that I should have mastered years ago, continue to trip me up, but You don’t give up on me. Thank You. Help me partake fully of Your love and grace even as I transmit them to others, so that the devil’s schemes may be defeated for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!