At the ruins of Rievaulx Abbey in Yorkshire, England, towering stone arches have stood for nine centuries despite the roofs having long since collapsed, the wooden beams having rotted away, and the window panes being gone.
The clever engineering of these arches means they were designed to take weight and balance the forces of gravity and pressure. Arches are a good example of how God holds us up in real life.
Interestingly, an arch is strongest when it is under pressure. When the stones are squeezed together, they are able to endure the forces of nature. We often feel that the demands of life—our jobs, the needs of our families, the weight of our responsibilities—will break us. But with God’s faithfulness as our arch of protection, we have a strength to rely on that is stronger than our own. Finding strength in God in these times can help us persevere.
Psalm 91:1 (CEV) invites us to: Live under the protection of God Most High and stay in the shadow of God All-Powerful.
Then you can say to the Lord, “You are my fortress, my place of safety; you are my God, and I trust you.”
At the very top of the arch is the keystone or capstone. This wedge-shaped stone, under intense compression, holds every other piece in place. Without it, the arch would become a pile of rubble. Jesus, we could say, is like a keystone. When the weight of the world pushes down, it actually forces us to rely on and stay closer to Jesus. With his presence and his promises, he can take the intensity of our messy, weary lives, and shape us into people who can withstand the storms of life.
In Matthew 11:28 (CEV), Jesus invites us: If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest.
Gravity wants to flatten the arches of Rievaulx Abbey, or any other building; it wants to push the walls outward until the whole thing falls. To keep this from happening, arches need abutments—thick, strong supports. When you feel like you are being pushed to your breaking point, it is God’s faithfulness along with a community of his faithful people built like a strong support on either side of you, that helps you withstand stress and strain.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:11, we are told: Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…
Where are you trying to hold up the weight of your life on your own? Be reminded of God’s faithfulness. Lean into the keystone—Jesus—to let him take the pressure today. And surround yourself with faithful followers of Christ who can support you.
An Unstoppable Life isn’t held together by your own effort; it is held together by the faithfulness of God and the community of Christ.
Pray
Heavenly Father, I come to you today feeling the pressure of my responsibilities, the weight of my needs, and the strain of carrying burdens I was never meant to hold alone. Sometimes I feel like I am at breaking point, reaching for a strength I simply do not have.
Thank you for the reminder that what I see as crushing pressure is actually the place where I can live in your strength. When the world pushes down on me, help me to learn to lean in even closer to you. I will stop trying to be my own support and instead trust in your unshakeable faithfulness.
I also thank you for the community of believers who stand beside me. Help me to be humble enough to let them support me and bold enough to encourage them in return. Thank you for your grace through your Son, Jesus. Amen.
I love your posts Rachel. This one is so appropriate for the confusion and evil se see in our world today. I trust in God and am in His word constantly. I pray often now!!
Thank you for your comment. Just this morning I was reminded how we need to trust God and stay in His word constantly.