I want to share with you a short devotional this morning. It’s really an invitation to prayer, and we will have time of prayer afterwards. The title, comes from Psalm 55:22, as we will see. We can all become burdened by . . .
The troubles of life
In contrast to some teachers today, Scripture is very honest in talking about life. It is not all rosy, easy and comfortable. And so we shouldn’t expect this, or be surprised when life isn’t all painless. Scripture teaches us that we will experience lots of hardships.
Psalm 90:9-10 says, “Our years come to an end like a sigh. The days of our life are seventy years; or perhaps eighty, if we are strong; even then their span is only toil and trouble.”
From the New Testament, Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:34 that “each day’s trouble is enough for that day.” He’s talking about taking one day at a time, but he is also saying that each day has trouble in it.
These scriptures are talking about troubles like:
- health problems, the pains and weaknesses of our bodies
- relationship difficulties
- tragedies, including the death of loved ones
- family difficulties, tensions and brokenness
- and job stresses, which our current situation has made worse for some.
Any one or more of these can cause us to be burdened, weighed down, weary and weak.
But we are not only burdened with our own troubles, we also feel the weight of the burdens of other. And this is right and good, as Paul says in Galatians 6:2, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ”
Jesus taught us to love our neighbor as our self, which is what Paul means by “the law of Christ.” And a part of what this means is helping others, standing with them when they are overwhelmed by burdens to help lighten the load.
But as we “bear one another’s burdens,” we do feel the weight of need of those that we love and seek to help.
So, when we are burdened with our own needs and the needs of others, we need to remember that . . .
God loves us
. . . with an incomprehensible love. We know this because God gave us his Son.
As Paul says in Romans 8:32, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”
If he gave us his most precious Son, how much more will God give us of his love and care as we walk through life’s hardships? God loves us and will take care of us.
Another thing to remember when we are burdened is that . . .
God is able to help us
We sometimes become overwhelmed by our troubles. We feel weak and unable to do anything. And often we are. But God is not helpless.
Jeremiah 32:17 says, “Lord, it is you who made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you!”
Our God is the God who created the world! If God can create the heavens and the earth, how much more can God act in our situations to help us.
As our verse says, God has “great power” and “nothing is too difficult” for God. God is not overwhelmed. God is able to help us.
Finally, when we are burdened, we need to remember . .
God’s promises to us
Promises to help us in our hardships and difficult situations. These remind us that God is able and willing to help us and we need to keep them before us so that they sink into our hearts and mind. Here is one.
Isaiah 43:1-3 says, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you . . . For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”
We had a baptism service last week – a picture of passing through the waters. But we continue to pass through the waters in our Christian lives. We go through deep waters, times of testing and trials. Times of chaos that can cause us to despair.
But this promise teaches us that God is with us in these baptisms of suffering. And so we will not be swept away. But God will bring us through the deep waters.
This is a beautiful promise that God will bring us up on the other shore of the deep waters and give us new life, a new hope and a future.
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And so this morning, as you think of your burdens, as you think of the burdens that you are carrying for others, as you feel weighed down and weary, I want to invite you to come forward to pray and offer up your burdens to the Lord.
As Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you.” Pray to receive of God’s presence, love and help; for God’s sustaining mercy.
If you are not weighed down – give thanks! But would you also pray for those that come forward? And would you pray for the list of needs in your bulletin as well as other needs in our church and in the world? Whether you come forward or whether you stay where you are, let us all now be in prayer. William Higgins
Christian teaching 