Thanks for stopping by! This is Day 17 of my 2015 “31 Days Reflecting on God” series. Find the rest over here.
But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,
my glory, and the lifter of my head.
Psalm 3:1
Down-hearted. Feeling down. Down in the dumps. Head down. Shoulders slumped down. Things haven’t been looking up in a while. Down and out. Down on his luck.
Life has this way of dragging us downward. Earthward. We stop seeing the sky and the clouds and the birds and only see the cement sidewalk or the endless traffic in front of us.
When we are struggling or discouraged, we feel weightiness. A physical heaviness creeps into our stomach when we hear bad news. Sometimes we describe it as a cloud over our heads, looming darkness.
So I love that David called God this specific name: “You, O Yahweh, are the lifter of my head.” It reminds me of the New Testament truth that Paul wrote about: “Keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:2-3)
When our minds become tied to the earth and the troubles here, we forget we are one with God, who is above everything else. Over and over again I find that only turning my mind from my problems to my savior can change my attitude. I might be able to escape by scrolling on my phone or reading a novel or taking a nap but the problems roll back in when I look up from the screen and face life again.
Only stopping to breathe thankfulness and trust in God can lighten my load. A good friend of mine has certain strategies for keeping herself grounded in the present and focused on truth. I’ve discovered that that’s where it’s at. When I fill my mind with worship, through songs or God’s word or even just by reminding myself of his blessings, my burden is lifted. This is worship.
God wants us to fill us with his spirit. He wants to encourage our hearts. Lift our heads. Carry our burdens.
He never intended us to walk this heavy life alone. “I am with you,” he speaks over and over again in his word to his followers, and to us.
Your heavy burden to bear may not go away when you praise God, but even if it’s for a short time, your heavy heart will. God lives up to his name. He really is the lifter of our heads. But we have to come to him to be lifted.