In All Your Caregiving, the Lord Is Caring for You - What She Said Part 14 - Week 1 Day 2

TODAY'S TREASURE

He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

Isaiah 40:11

Transcript

In All Your Caregiving, The Lord is Caring for You

Marissa Bondurant, Guest Writer

Today’s Treasure

He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

Isaiah 40:11

Minutes after doctors discovered a tumor in our four-year-old daughter, a nurse took my hand and led me through the hospital to the pediatric oncologist. As we walked, she patted my hand and said, “You’re going to be okay, momma, you’re going to be okay.” I didn’t believe her at the time, but years later, I longed to find that nurse and tell her she was right after all. 

Over the next several years of caregiving, I came face to face with the ultimate Caregiver. In my exhaustion, loneliness and fear, I found out that the Lord was caring for me. This week, I want to share with you a few ways the Lord is caring for you as well.  

Have you ever studied Jesus’ encounters with caregivers? The Gospels are full of interactions between Jesus and those who are caring for others. Jesus talks with moms, dads, sisters and friends. He walks with them to gravesites and deathbeds. He performs miracles. He speaks encouragement and truth. He even weeps with them. Over and over, we see God’s heart for caregivers and catch glimpses of some of the ways the Lord cares for us as we care for our loved ones. 

One of my favorite stories is where Jesus cares for Jairus. Jairus is the dad whose daughter is about to die. He rushes to find Jesus and asks Him for a miracle. While Jairus waits for Jesus to hurry to his house, word comes that his daughter has died, and there is no point in “bothering” Jesus any longer (Luke 8:40-56). How often do we, as caregivers, feel like we are bothering Jesus with our endless requests? How often do we wonder if God truly sees us or cares about our concerns? Jairus is devastated by this news, but Jesus is not deterred. Instead, the Son of God tells Jairus that hope is not lost, he is seen, he is known, he is loved. And Jesus follows through with His mission of healing this precious little girl. 

As caregivers, we know that God doesn’t always answer our prayers in that same miraculous way, but we can rest assured that God is as close to us as He was to Jairus. Jesus walked shoulder to shoulder with Jairus through a pressing crowd and didn’t let him out of His sight. Jesus knew the fears deep in Jairus’ heart that were too emotional to say out loud. 

And Jesus does the same for us. Isaiah 40:11 tells us that the Lord tends to us as a shepherd tends to his flock, even going so far as to pick us up and carry us against His chest when we need His care. 

This week, I hope to be to you like that nurse was to me – reminding you that you will be okay. You can trust that it is true because the Perfect Caregiver cares for you.  

LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT

Choose one of the following passages and look at how Jesus cared for the caregiver in the story. Spend time asking God to care for you in a similar way. 

• Luke 8:40-56
• John 11:1-37
• John 9:1-41
• Mark 2:1-12

PRAYER

Father God, You are the Ultimate Caregiver! Thank You for caring for me while I care for my loved one. Some days, I feel overwhelmed, lonely, and afraid, but it is comforting to picture You scooping me up and carrying me along. Please help me keep my eyes focused on You and Your goodness, and help me trust in Your care. In Jesus name, Amen.