Thro’ this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.
Just a Closer Walk with Thee
By: Anonymous
Listen as you read. This is a great gospel guitar version.
As we established in our Tunings on Tuesday (find it here), God cares for us, even when no-one else seems to. Who can question this, especially when we are the source of the faltering, but even then the Lord cares for us. Let’s think about this.
Toils and Snares
Immediately I think of the similar line from Amazing Grace which speaks about “dangers, toils and snares”. We examined these challenges earlier this year in both a Tunings and a Thoughts. You can find them at those links.
For our purposes here I want to look at this a little differently. Or rather I want to look at one aspect we considered in the aforementioned Tunings a little deeper. That aspect is the reality that all the things that tempt me to wander away from the Lord come from one of three sources.
- The World
- The Flesh
- The Devil
Within that context we acknowledge the toils and snares I face, whether of my own design or someone else’s, are sometimes avoidable and always able to be overcome.
Avoidable
Some of the toil we face is actually our own design. Take the poor sap in the image above. I imagine he feels like he needs to turn that gear, either out of some obligation to someone else, because it is his duty, or maybe for no good reason. I also have to imagine that he probably resents it at some level because it appears futile. There is no end in sight and no apparent benefit to all the work.
Resistible
I think I made up that word. You get what I mean by it, right? Though things sometimes seem irresistible, or unable to be resisted, nothing is truly irresistible. That means everything is “resistible” or capable of being resisted.
It is possible to resist, but it is certainly not easy. Say your are hungry and you come across a lovely piece of cheese laid out there for the taking. Seems simple enough, grab it and go. You reach out to take it and SNAP!, you are caught, if not broken it two.
Obviously, someone set that trap, and it must had been alluring. But it was also avoidable and resistible. I could have chosen to walk away. Alas, there may very well be another one around the corner. Unfortunately, it seems I can not escape them all, even with the utmost exercise of determination.
Now it is just painful. And snares normally are that, as well as dangerous. I mean look at that poor finger. It is turning purple and blue. My soul has turned purple and blue, and yours has too, even as you writhed to escape the snare. Remember that feeling? It is an awful feeling. And it is compounded by the fact that it was all avoidable and resistible were it not for the world, the flesh and the Devil, particularly our flesh.
The world and the Devil usher in no shortage of toils and snares, but if were not for my flesh, they would be avoidable and resistible. My flesh is the weak link here. If we were on our own to face this predicament it would be pretty depressing. But fortunately we are not. More on that in a moment.
If I Falter
Though the writer uses the the word “if” here to describe the possibility of my faltering, I know that a more accurate choice would have been to use not “if” but “when” to describe the certainty of my faltering. Unless we learn to identify and then avoid or resist the toils and snares, we will end up in a lot of trouble and no shortage of pain. Take heart there is some help available on that front. More on that in a moment.
What makes our faltering even worse is that not only do we already feel foolish for not seeing the traps beforehand, but we sometimes find that others are scoffing at our failure to do so. Adding insult to injury as the old adage goes, they not only failure to care to address the injury but do not mind adding insult to the pain.
You probably are very familiar with the emotion associated with the question asked here. “If I falter, Lord, who cares?” Think of a time when you were painfully aware of that feeling. That awareness creates a backdrop for your gratitude to blossom when you realize that even though there will be moments when no one else cares the Lord always does. More on that in a moment.
We all falter, and truthfully far more often than we would like to admit. But when we do, thankfully God does not join in the finger-pointing but rather reaches out a hand to help us. That hand looks different based on the help the Lord is providing.
Sometimes it is a hand of compassion when we are hurting. Sometimes it is a hand of correction when we have done wrong. Sometimes a hand of direction when we have lost our way. Always it is a hand of caring. Unmistakeable caring.
Lord You Care
We are often like little children who have simply lost our way in a dark and dangerous world. Sometimes we are willful in our stumbling and bumbling, but children are too. Fortunately for us, Jesus cares and is willing to meet us wherever we are, if we will simply reach out to Him.
This is a very powerful image. It illustrates for us our predicament and Jesus’ solution. He cares so He steps in our darkness and guides us toward the light. His care in and of itself is a huge part that changes the situation, even before we go very far, just knowing He is with us and for us.
We are all tempted at times to honestly ask the question, “Lord who cares?” But we must also be willing to be equally honest and confess the Lord has said He does over and over again, not to mention the many ways He has also demonstrated that in our lives. Take this Scripture for instance.
Though the Lord is high above all, he cares for the lowly.
Though he is in heaven above, he sees them on earth below. Psalm 138:6 (NIRV)
Many times I have experienced the power of this promise. Even when the cause of what drove me to the low place was of my own design, Jesus still saw me and cared for me. He sees you too.
And how about this expression of His care.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18 (ESV)
He is near to us and He saves us. Who can find a better expression of His care? Use the podcast below, available to everyone today, to spend a few more minutes thinking about this powerful truth and allowing it to resonate in your mind, even as you work to remove the things that might otherwise dampen it.
Jesus, thank You for Your consistent care, even in the face of my consistent faltering. Teach me anew today that I can rest in your care for me. Help me to acknowledge Your many expressions of it, so I may find my mind overwhelmed by the cacophony of care You sound into my life each day. Make me resonant! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Careful Thinking!
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EVERYONE enjoy this podcast and the transcript below!
Podcast 7.2 Transcript
Welcome to Thursday Thoughts at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s think about this.
Thro’ this world of toil and snares,
Psalm 140:5 ESV
The arrogant have hidden a trap for me, and with cords they have spread a net; beside the way they have set snares for me.
Whether toil I choose to engage in, or snares others lay to catch me, this is a troublesome world. There are dangers all around and we must be diligent to stay out of them. Ask Jesus to help you identify toils and snares and then help you to avoid them whenever you can.
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Psalm 138:6 (NIRV)
Though the Lord is high above all, he cares for the lowly,
Though he is in heaven above, he sees them on the earth below.
The Lord cares for us, even when no else seems to. Though He is high He is not far off, but near. His perspective allows Him to see us and enables Him to act in a way that demonstrates His care. Thank Jesus for caring for you, even at the times you did not know it.
Who with me my burden shares?
Psalm 55:22(ESV)
Cast your burden on the Lord,
and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
the righteous to be moved.
What burdens have you weighed down today? Will you cast them on the Lord? Maybe you are weary of trying to sustain yourself. Use that energy instead to actively give your concerns to God so you can know His sustaining power. Ask Him to help you do that routinely.
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.
Matthew 11:28-30(ESV)
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
What a gracious invitation, which at the same time is a beautiful reminder that the Lord cares for us. If you want rest from your toils and snares, someone to faithfully share your burdens, then come and take a closer walk with Jesus. Ask Him to help you stay one step behind Him.
Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has come to your mind, or just listen to what He is saying to you, then I will read our text once more.
Thro’ this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.
Take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond. Until next time, be Resonant.
Image Attributions
Toil – https://pixabay.com/photos/a-human-evertebrat-side-view-3151524/
Snares – https://pixabay.com/photos/mistake-mouse-trap-foolish-hurt-2344150/
Falter – https://pixabay.com/photos/loser-failure-finger-suggest-board-3096225/
Lord You Care – https://pixabay.com/photos/jesus-christ-journey-forest-child-3618220/
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