Daily routine

“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Saviour, who daily bears our burdens.”   Psalm 68.19 NIV

Daily bears our burdens. What a comforting word ‘daily’ is. Like that favourite sweater we reach for, favourite rug or robe, favourite chair we go to, favourite drink we start the day with. Daily.

What is your daily routine?   Maybe your daily routine is a struggle, a mad scramble of never ending housework, babies or demanding toddlers; a constant battle to get children ready for school;  conflicts with teenagers; a long commute on a crowded train or bus; an unpleasant work atmosphere; tension at home.

Maybe your daily routine is utter boredom, turning listlessly in the same dreary rut; doing the same thing a thousand times on a production line; or looking for a job, maybe it is loneliness, longing for some human company but the phone never rings, no one visits any more. Maybe your daily routine is full of pain; emotional, physical, watching a loved one suffer.

Or is it your daily routine to bound out of bed, do some exercise, turn the music on, adrenaline pumping, ideas flowing, down your breakfast and into it. You can’t go fast enough!

Probably for most, your daily routine is a bit of everything. Lingering in bed till the last minute possible, doing things you enjoy, things you have to do, preparing meals, balancing the budget, shopping, relaxing, studying, working, being with friends, getting through the day somehow.

Possibly tucked away in your mind there may be a worry or two; a family situation, an uncertain future, a debt, poor health, some sorrow or grief, an injustice that eats you up.

For all of these daily situations we have a God, a Saviour who comes alongside and daily bears our burdens. Of course, he doesn’t force us to give the burden over, but offers to carry it. We marvel, the weight  falls off. He accompanies us in silence maybe, or speaking a word of strength that will see us through the day. Tomorrow he’ll come again, and the next day, and the next. We need never carry them alone again.

By Coleen Marshall