The other day I spontaneously scooped up my wife in my arms. It caught her off guard and she shrieked, “Honey, no!” She was scared that I would drop her or would end up killing my back trying not to.
I must admit that when I first picked her up, I faltered for a second while trying to regain my balance. With my back still intact, I was able to carry her briefly before setting her down again. The whole incident lasted about 20 seconds. I may have been able to carry her a few seconds longer … a few feet further … but that’s about it.
I wanted to show my wife that I could still carry her. But I know the day will come when I’ll no longer be able to do that. Even this time my wife had her doubts that I could do so, and not without good reason. The fact is, I’m getting older and growing weaker.
But that’s never the case with God. He is eternal, omnipotent, ever-faithful, and does not change. For that reason he is able to assure us,
I will be the same until your old age, and I will bear you up when you turn gray. I have made you, and I will carry you; I will bear and rescue you. (Isaiah 46:4).
God initially made this promise to the people of Israel after declaring through Isaiah that they would be carried away as captives to Babylon (Isa. 39:5-6). it looked as if God no longer regarded them, no longer cared for them, and would cut them off.
But that wasn’t the case at all. God would always be their provider and their protector — unlike the false gods that the Babylonians worshiped. At the beginning of Isaiah 46, God says,
Bel and Nebo, the gods of Babylon, bow as they are lowered to the ground. They are being hauled away on ox carts. The poor beasts stagger under the weight. Both the idols and their owners are bowed down. The gods cannot protect the people, and the people cannot protect the gods. They go off into captivity together. (Isa. 46:1-2)
Bel and Nebo were the celebrated gods of the Babylonians. Their names were incorporated into the names of Babylon’s kings, such as Belshazzar and Nebuchadnezzar. It looked like these gods were more powerful than the Lord God of Israel, but God proved that was not the case by predicting what would become of these idols. Not only would they not be able to sustain the people that worshipped them, but the idols themselves would become a burden to the animals that would carry them away into captivity.
But the God of Israel would continue to carry his people! He wants them to hear this message loud and clear:
Listen to me, all Israel who are left: I have created you and cared for you since you were born. I will be your God through all your lifetime, yes, even when your hair is white with age. I made you and I will care for you. I will carry you along and be your Savior. (Isa. 46:3-4 NLT)
Centuries earlier, when God had delivered the fledgling nation of Israel from their Egyptian captivity, he reminded them, “You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself” (Ex. 19:4 NIV). Before Moses died, he assured the people of Israel, “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deut. 33:27).
These precious promises apply to us as Christians today, thanks to Jesus Christ. “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory” (2 Cor. 1:20).
When we’re young, we feel like we can conquer the world. But the years pass quickly. As we age, our weaknesses become more apparent.
We all trust in something to carry us.
Some trust in money. But that’s a big mistake, because our fortunes can turn on a dime. “Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle” (Prov. 23:5).
Some trust in relationships. But people will also inevitably fail us. “Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me” (Psalm 41:9). “My relatives have failed me, my close friends have forgotten me” (Job 19:14).
Neither money nor relationships can carry us. In fact, both often prove to be a burden to us.
The only one who can truly carry us is the one who cares most deeply for us — so much so that he gave his very life for us. Having paid the price for our sin, he rose victoriously from the dead. Jesus is our Conquering Hero, and he says to us, “I am the LORD; those who hope in me will not be disappointed” (Isa. 49:23; Rom. 10:11). With a love that will never end, a power that can never be quenched, and promises that will never fail, our Lord says,
I will carry you. I will bear you up, and I will bear you out. I will carry you on your way, and I will carry you Home.