Scripture meditations like this one help us connect with God each day and help us to recognize reasons why the Bible is relevant today.
Carrying a Heavy Burden
It’s hard to feel hopeful when horrible stuff happens, and we face the reality of evil.
For many of us, it’s the occasional news story that catches us by surprise—sick details of a horrible situation that we know is real, but have trouble imagining.
Or for others, our jobs, volunteer work, or passion projects might leave us with a heavy burden for those who are oppressed, neglected, or have pleas that seem to go unheard by most.
We believe that God doesn’t forsake those in need, but that doesn’t always make the heavy burden go away.
Know that the compassion we feel in those moments is from God—we’re not supposed to feel passive about things that are sad and dark and evil.
But we’re also not supposed to carry the burden on our own. Join us in this meditation as we seek to bring our heavy burdens to God.
Psalm 9:9–10
9 The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
10 Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Observations from the Text
- God is a sheltered safe space for the oppressed (v. 9)
- His presence is secure and safe (v. 9)
- He is worth trusting (v. 10)
- He doesn’t abandon those who search for him (v. 10)
Prayers of Response
God, how can I believe that you don’t forsake those who seek you when _________?
I praise you, Lord, because in my time of trouble, you kept me safe by _________.
Prayer Requests
Lord, please do not forsake _________ (name) as they _________.
God, I pray your protection over _________, because I often find myself filled with worry and doubt about this situation.
Prayers of Readiness
Lord, I am eager to partner with you in being a stronghold for _________ (name), who is experiencing a time of trouble.
I will seek to know your name and grow in trusting you more as I _________, today.
Connecting with God in the ordinary, everyday moments of life can be challenging if you aren’t sure how to start reading the Bible. But Scripture meditations are a great way to get started reading the Bible—click here to see more!
Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
