The Lord Will Restore!

 I have been meditating on Psalm 71 this past week. It is a beautiful Psalm. Psalm 71:14 says, “But as for me I will always have hope; I will praise You more and more.” Then Psalm 71:20-21 says, “Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once more.”

Are those verses not beautiful words of comfort and encouragement, dear caregiver? My devotional this week also encouraged me to go through the entirety of Psalm 71 and write a list of WHO all God is in His character according to this wonderful Psalm. The Psalm points out His faithfulness and He being a place of refuge among other things. What a source of hope and encouragement!

I would urge you also to go through Psalm 71 this week, dear caregiver. List all the characteristics which you can find about God in this Psalm. Care-giving for someone we love can be overwhelming sometimes, but when we think about all God is in His character we can have hope and not grovel in fear and discouragement.  He is our refuge and fortress. He is the sovereign Lord and source of confidence and help. He is the restorer of our lives, and we can look back on our lives and see His faithfulness to us over and over again.

If you are His child; The Lord will be with you step by step, dear caregiver. He will help you navigate the sometimes difficult path of care-giving step by step and moment by moment. His righteousness is covering you. His strength is enabling you. His wisdom is guiding you. Rest in Him to guide, and live each day for His glory. Emotions may sometimes tell you that you are not living up to all that God would want you to be and do for your loved one, but don't trust your feelings. Instead trust that God loves you and accepts you as you are. Trust that He is leading you.

Remember Psalm 71:14 says, “But as for me I will always have hope; I will praise You more and more.” Biblical hope is not an “I hope something will happen, but I do not know if it will” type of hope. Rather it is an assurance or expectancy of things coming which has not yet happened. God is in control of your life. Therefore praise him more and more. An attitude of gratitude and trust in the Lord will greatly lighten the heaviness of your load, dear caregiver. I said this before, but when I was a caregiver someone suggested I write down three things each day for which I was thankful. That little exercise alone did much to lighten my load.

Rest in Him, dear caregiver. Your life and the life of your loved one is in His hands. He will restore and build up you and your loved one either in this life or in the next. You can count on His promises to do so, dear caregiver!