He picks us up in His arms

We spent the evening recently in a public park area.  We were busy talking with different people throughout the night, but as the evening wore on I was captivated by watching the fathers I would see as they walked through the area with their little ones.

I would watch one father after another just walking with their children - one or more children - and then, effortlessly, with no advanced change in pace, various fathers would reach down and lift up one of his little children with his strong arms.  He would lift them to his shoulders, or another would lift them high and then to the ground again.   I saw one father interacting with his little one who was looking up into the tall trees.  The father then gently swooped the child up and onto a tree branch, safely holding on as the child looked around in awe at where he was.  None of the children were surprised or frightened.  They behaved naturally as they were use to being lifted and carried by their fathers in these many different ways.

All of these children and the children through time have been lifted up with the strong arms of there fathers.  None of us probably ever had a thought of how our fathers were so strong to be able to lift us up, we just enjoyed it all in the safety of his arms, and loved him for it.

In the same way, but so much more majestic and awesome is how our Heavenly Father lifts us up. His arms are strong and He can carry us no matter how heavy our burden is.  We can cry out to Him or He can, without warning, swoop us up to a place that is higher than we and there we experience His peace even among the chaos of our lives in this fallen world.  We can know and trust Him in all things even when there seems to be no way in our circumstances.  His arms are stronger and we can rest safely and be in awe of Him---our Heavenly Father.

Isaiah 41:10
Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Psalm 37:17
For the arms of the wicked will be broken,
But the Lord sustains  (upholds) the righteous.

Psalm 37:23-24
The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
And He delights in his way.
When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong,
Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.

Psalm 41:12
As for me, You uphold me in my integrity,
And You set me in Your presence forever.

Psalm 51:12
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
And sustain (uphold) me with a willing spirit.

Psalm 61:2
From the end of the earth I call to You
when my heart is faint;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Psalm 63:8
My soul clings to You;
Your right hand upholds me.

Psalm 119:116-117
Sustain me according to Your word,
that I may live;
And do not let me be ashamed of my hope.
Uphold me that I may be safe,
That I may have regard for Your statutes continually.

Psalm 145:14
The Lord sustains all who fall
And raises up all who are bowed down.