DEVOTION: Week of February 8

God loves our people more than we do, and that is an incredibly hard truth for me to take hold of. I struggle with anxiety and fear over my family. If I know Greg or the kids are going through something difficult, it weighs heavily on me. I find myself anxious, stomach in knots, frustrated and worried. I get angry for them, jealous for them, scared for them. I wear it like skin and it’s incredibly hard to separate my heart from their issues when they’re struggling.

I pray when this happens, I really do. But it doesn’t always bring the immediate peace or relief I’m seeking. I need something more tangible to do. I want to jump in and fix it — make a phone call, send an email, spit out a text. Once in awhile I want to throat punch someone, but of course I never do,  not only would it be unseemly, it would mainly be ungodly.

Recently during one particularly stressful day when I just couldn’t shake these burdensome feelings, I took a walk near our green pastures and still waters. I started to praying and talking to God about this issue. Psalm 23 popped in my head, so I began reciting it on a loop. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” Seconds later though, I felt like God told me to personalize that psalm — not for me, but for the loved one I was praying for.

Friend, as I prayed Psalm 23 on their behalf, it lifted such a huge weight off my shoulders. It was a blessed tangible thing I could do, but moreso, it FREED ME from feeling like it was my responsibility to fix it all. The physical need to call someone or text someone or punch someone went away. The truth landed squarely in my chest — this is something only God can do. And while I knew that truth logically, finally my heart connected to it as well.

Below is the entire psalm as I rephrased it. If you struggle with carrying the emotional burdens of others like I do, or even if you’re just looking for ways to pray for someone else, I encourage you to print this out for yourself. Go ahead and even personalize it more with a specific name. Maybe it’ll be just what you need to free yourself from the weight, too.

He loves your people more than you do and intends to take better care of them than you can. I promise.

“You are their shepherd; they shall not want.
You make them lie down in green pastures.
You lead them beside still waters.
You restore their soul.
You lead them in paths of righteousness for your name’s sake.
Even though they walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 
they will fear no evil, for you are with them; 
your rod and your staff, they comfort them.
You prepare a table before them in the presence of their enemies; 
you anoint their head with oil; their cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow them all the days of their life, 
and they shall dwell in your house forever.”