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Psalm 81.5-9, 13, 15-16

He laid it as a solemn charge upon Joseph,*
when he came out of the land of Egypt.
I heard an unfamiliar voice saying,*
I eased his shoulder from the burden; his hands were set free from bearing the load.
You called on me in trouble, and I saved you*
I answered you from the secret place of thunder and tested you at the waters of Meribah.
Hear, O my people, and I will admonish you:*
O Israel, if you would but listen to me,
There shall no strange god among you;*
you shall not worship a foreign god.
O that my people would listen to me*
that Israel would walk in my ways!
Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him,*
and their punishment would last for ever.
But Israel would I feed with the finest wheat*
and satisfy him with honey from the rock.

While reading this passage I was most struck by the line “I eased his shoulder from the burden; his hands were set free from bearing the load”.

I doubt I am the only one, a year into this Pandemic, who is feeling burdened. I feel constantly weighed down- by fear, by worry and by grief. To put it plainly, this has been a year of great challenges. It also has been easy to feel alone, physically distanced as we must me to keep our communities and ourselves safe.

We are not alone.

This Psalm is a wonderful reminder that we are never truly isolated. The Lord does not want us to face challenges alone. He is always there, he loves us and will always help to carry our burdens. We need only call out, and he will save us.