He Has Been There Too
Well, hello there, friend. I surely appreciate you stoppin’ by for a lil’ spell. I was just sittin’ here on this ol’ front porch watchin’ a wide‑eyed lil’ cottontail rabbit tryin’ to convince a stubborn ol’ armadillo to scoot on over and share a shady patch under the mesquite tree. It plum made me git to grinnin’ and thinkin’, “Well now, isn’t it somethin’ when somebody shows up right when your heart needs a little company.” So, settle in, friend. You picked a mighty fine moment to stop by.
Hebrews 4:15 says. “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” And to help us git to seein’ it even clearer, let’s weave in Psalm 34:18, which says, “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” Put them two verses together, and you get one mighty sweet truth. Jesus plum knows exactly how you feel.
If you’ve ever wondered whether God understands your stressful days, your chaotic mornin’s, your nights that feel a whole lot longer than it takes an ol’ possum to git the courage to be tryin’ to cross a busy highway, just take a look at Matthew 14. Jesus starts His day hearin’ that John the Baptist has been killed. His heart is real heavy. His life is sho’-nuff’ threatened. His disciples show up real excited and talkin’ about a mile a minute. Then twenty‑five thousand people swarm Him like a herd of hungry lil’ goats lookin’ for some supper. He tries to slip away for a quiet moment, but the crowd follows Him around the lake like a determined bunch of crafty raccoons that refuse to give up on goin’ through the neighborhood trash cans.
And, friend, if you ever doubt that Jesus truly understands the weight you carry, just tuck Psalm 103:14 in your pocket. It says, “For he knoweth our frame. He remembereth that we are dust.” That there means God isn’t surprised one bit when life knocks the wind out of you like a cranky ol’ goat that keeps chewin’ on the wood fence no matter how much you feed him. God knows exactly how fragile we git to feelin’ sometimes. He plum remembers how easily our strength gits to runnin’ real thin. And He steps right on into our stress, not to be scoldin’ us for bein’ human, but to be steadyin’ us with His compassion.
When Jesus faced that real long, chaotic day in Matthew 14, He felt every ounce of exhaustion, every interruption, every ache. He lived the very moments that make us whisper, “Lord, I can’t take much more.” And He answers with gentle understanding, “I know, friend. I remember your frame. I know exactly how you feel.”
Friend, you can sho’-nuff’ be trustin’ that Jesus sho’-nuff knows about interruptions. He plum knows about exhaustion. He certainly knows about sorrow. He plum knows about livin’ with pressure. He plum knows what it feels like when your plans fall apart faster than an ol’ flimsy barn door in a big windstorm. And He stepped right on into all of it, so you and I would never again say, “Lord, You don’t know how hard it is down here.” Because He sho’-nuff does. He plum lived it. He plum felt it. He plum carried it.
Father, thank You for a Savior who understands every ache, every stress, every fear, and every interruption. Help me run to Jesus when life gets real heavy. Teach me to trust His compassion and lean on His strength. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Alright then, friend, as you walk away to carry on with the adventures ahead today, put this here truth right in a real good place where you can reach it real easy. Jesus’ understanding ain’t no kind weak like some ol’ porch board that gits to groanin’ under an ol’ hound dog walkin’ on it. It’s plum steady enough to hold you when life charges at you like an ol’ bull that got loose out of the pasture. It’s plum gentle enough to comfort you when you feel about as small as a baby kitten peekin’ out from behind a bale of hay. And it’s sure faithful enough to help you to recall that no matter how doggone stormy your day or restless your night, your lovin’ Savior plum knows exactly how you feel, and He walks through every step of it right there with you.
With joy,
Gwen
