Cast Your Burdens

“Momma, it’s hot.”

I’m staying at Moody Gardens this week for my middle two daughters’ cheer camp. During the day, while the big girls do cheer camp with their coach, I’ve got one little girl to keep occupied. Yesterday, as we walked around the grounds from one activity to another, my littlest one loudly moaned about the stifling Galveston heat. And I responded, “Baby girl, God ain’t gonna take away the heat today, but He did give us the wind. Let’s thank Him for the wind.”

The Lord is not in the business of removing every obstacle and relieving us of tribulation. On the contrary, He said “in this world you will have trouble.” His foremost apostle said, “do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you.” And His brother said trials are God’s way of testing our faith to produce perseverance. Indeed, the Lord never said He would remove our yoke, He simply promised that His would be much lighter to bear because He carries the weight of it. 

Beloved, God is in the business of bearing our burdens with us. The relentless march of our lives will continue on. Our test is how we will walk in it. When the strain and stress come, who will we look to? When we are pressed beyond measure, what will seep out from deep within us? When we are stripped of self-sufficiency who will we lean on? The answer to all of these must be “Christ.” Because God ain’t gonna take away the heavy things, but He has given us His Son to help us bear them. 

Let us thank him for His Son.

(Matt 11:28-30) Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

(Ps 55:22) Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.

(2 Cor 4:16-18) Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

(Dan 3:24,25) Suddenly King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and asked his advisers, “Did we not throw three men, firmly bound, into the fire?” “Certainly, O king,” they replied. “Look!” he exclaimed. “I see four men, unbound and unharmed, walking around in the fire—and the fourth looks like a son of the gods!”