Psalm 145:14 "The Lord upholds all who fall, and raises up all who are bowed down"

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Who will God uphold?

"Uphold" appears 18 times in the Bible and in the other verses, God makes clear the category of people He will uphold and those He whom He will not uphold.

Those He will uphold are:

1. The righteous - Ps 37:17 "For the arms of the wicked will be broken but the Lord upholds the righteous". Those who are wicked will find their arms broken, symbolic of weakening strength.

2. The good man - Ps 37:23-24 "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord upholds him with His hand". It looks like the good man will be "cast down" but he will not be "utterly cast down". Thus even though we may walk with God, we have to expect trials and testing that may cause us to be cast down.

3. The repentant - Ps 51:12 "Restore the joy of your salvation and uphold me by Your generous Spirit". As long as the person is repentant, God will uphold the person. The whole of Psalm 51 is a confession of the repentant or the penitent.

4. Those who believe in Jesus/spiritual Israel - Isaiah 41: 10 "Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand". As a spiritual nation who believe in Jesus, we can be assured that God will uphold us against His enemies.

Isaiah 41:11-13 

"Behold, all those who were incensed against you shall be ashamed and disgraced. They shall be as nothing and those who strive against you shall perish. You shall seek them and not find them - Those who contended with you. Those who war with you. Those who war against you shall be as nothing as a nonexistent thing. For I, the Lord your God will hold your right hand...."

Israel and the men of Jacob are described as "worm" meaning the weakest of the weak. Yet God's promise to His people is that He will make them a threshing sledge with sharp teeth (Isa 41:15)

How does God uphold us?

With His word

Psalm 119:16 "Uphold me according to Your word that I may live.."

Can we uphold others? 

Yes!

How can we uphold others? In our prayers, patience, actions and encouragement.

Isaiah 63:5 "I looked there was no one to help. I wondered that there was no one to uphold. Therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me and My own fury, it sustained Me"

God could not find an intercessor, one who upholds others in prayer. Thus He had no choice but to execute judgment.

Who does God want us to uphold? 

The weak.

1 Thess 5:14 "Now we exhort you brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all"