“Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.” Psalm 55:22
Their burdens are light, actually they have none. Right now they walk with in faith and trust, holding their heads high and their shoulders upright. These two little boys, walk behind the yoke of G and I.
For us we have gotten off track. Our weight is heavy and our burdens are many. Our shoulders are pushed forward as we try to carry each one. His more so than mine, and often times the weight he carries has him bent all the way over, where his eyes only see his toes.
We, G and I, often times step out from behind the Lord, thinking we can carry the weight on our own. All to find it is too much for us to bear.
Why do we try to bear the weight alone?
It is not for us to carry. “Get behind me”, He says. “Take my yoke upon you.” Matthew 11:29
His yoke fits perfectly, and the burden He gives is light. The yoke of the world is heavy and wearisome and its burdens are more than we can bear.
This thinking and believing we can carry the weight on our own, has been traced back all the way before Jesus walked the earth.
“So now the LORD says, ‘Stop right where you are! Look for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls.’ But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’” Jeremiah 6:16
The Israelites tried to walk out from behind God too. They took more burdens and weight upon themselves than they could bear, and it only caused more sorrow, pain, and problems. It accomplished nothing.
We do the same thing, when we reject taking the yoke of Jesus. We accomplish nothing and gain nothing. Instead, we pile on the weight, cause more problems, add more stress, and increase the pain.
What are our burdens anyway? If we would stop and lay them down, we would see that a majority of every burden we bear, we created.
Satan likes to weigh us down with the things of this world, and the sad thing is we let him. We take on the stress of our jobs, the problems of others, our financial situations, and sin.
In spite of all the burdens we bring upon ourselves, or that others place upon us, there is hope for us.
And that hope is found in Jesus.
“The LORD is faithful in all he says: he is gracious in all he does. The LORD helps the fallen and lifts up those bent beneath their loads. All eyes look to you for help; you give them their food as the need it. When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.” Psalm 145:13-16
“Then Jesus said, Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus it just seems like such nonsense that we have tried to carry so many of our burdens alone. Free us from this crazy thinking. Remove the yoke of ourselves, and place Your yoke that fits perfectly upon us. For then and only then will our burdens be light. Amen
