“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 CSB
My Bible was laying open to this chapter when I started my quiet time. When my eyes landed on this verse, my heart swelled with gratitude for all God does for me, for all of us. The subtitle of this chapter in my Bible says, “There is No one Like God.” The message is for the remnant of Israelites that are left, reminding them God has always been with them, always will be with them. He is their God. And He is our God. He does the same for us.
I began writing this devotional yesterday, which isn’t typical. Usually once I start writing one, I work until I finish it. But yesterday I couldn’t find the right scripture, until today. When I read the last part of the verse where God carries us, where He bears and rescues us, I thought of our first responders. The men and women who rush into danger when everyone else is running out. I thought of the fireman coming out of a burning building, a child in his arms he has just rescued. I thought of the police officer putting his life on the line every day to protect others. I thought of the EMT’s that rush to accidents, trying desperately to save lives. They are His hands and feet here on earth. They are the ones He sends in to literally carry us out of danger, they bear and rescue us. These men and women are His image bearers.
“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” We use the term “God’s hand and feet” often, but I’m not sure we truly understand, it really is all of us. First Responders give us a vivid picture of what it means in extreme circumstances. But so do working Mom’s who, after a long day at the office, come home to cook dinner and take care of their children. The loving wife as she cares for her ailing husband. The friend who drives in the middle of the night to hug you when they know you need it. When we hold the door open for someone or smile at a stranger, all of these acts are ways we’re God’s hands and feet. All of us have a part to play.
I’m thankful for First Responders who put their lives on the line every day for us. What are you thankful for?
