The Burden Bearer
I recently came across some amusing pictures. One was of a car overloaded with several baskets full of vegetables. The other was of a motorcycle with four people on it and some jerry cans and big carrier bags at the back. Both the car and motorcycle looked like they would break into pieces because of the heavy load on them. Seeing those pictures, you didn’t need to be a road traffic official to know the car and motorcycle had clearly violated Road Traffic Laws and Regulations.
Occasionally when you go shopping or to the market, you may have to carry about four or five bags of groceries, clothes, or household items. Usually, the distance you go with these bags isn’t that far. It may be to your car which is parked nearby or to enter a cab or bus. But imagine if you have to walk 500 miles carrying in your hand a suitcase filled with hardcover books. Certainly that would be a strenuous, uncomfortable and unpleasant experience. Your arms would ache, you would be in so much pain, and would stop at several points to rest your arms. In fact, the journey would appear as nothing but an endless distressing experience which you may abort at some point thinking the whole exercise isn’t worth the trouble.
In Matthew 11:28 Jesus says “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”. There are actually situations we go through in life and it feels like we are carrying a suitcase filled with books. Hebrews 12:1 describes this perfectly when it says we should “throw off everything that hinders…and entangles…” You can’t run or move fast when there’s this heavy weight you are carrying. Burdens of life can actually slow down a person’s progress or even make the person stagnant for years.
Jesus invites us to come to Him if we have spiritual, marital, educational, financial or health burdens that are weighing us down and slowing us down. He promises to lift up those burdens from us so we can have rest. What did Jesus mean when He said He would give us rest? He was actually promising us that when we come to Him, we are set free from yokes God never intended us to carry, we rest from trying to solve problems our own way and watch God take absolute control of the situation. We start to enjoy a sweet, good night rest after so many restless, sleepless nights. We become immersed in a peace no drug, yoga exercise, or person can give.
Isaiah 53:4 describes Christ as our burden bearer. The One that takes away our infirmities, weaknesses, shortcomings and fears. The One that carries away our sorrows; our pains, guilt, disappointments, heartbreaks, loss, sadness and regrets. Psalm 68:19 tells us that on a daily basis, God bears our burdens. Every day, the everlasting arms of the Lord are moving from place to place lifting up burdens. Even right now, God is on the lookout for someone who is weighed down and distressed to minister to; to ease off the load of problems of life.
Are you tired, weary, frustrated and discouraged? Are you worn out from carrying heavy marital, financial, health or emotional burdens? Let your heart not be troubled about any situation. You have a God who cares for you, who cares about what you are going through. You have a Lord who is a fortified tower to run to and find peace and rest from every painful experience you have been going through. You don’t need to go through life carrying burdens. Cast them on the Lord (Psalm 55:22). Give your loads of problems to the One who is strong enough to carry all burdens. The One who can carry the burdens of millions of people and never be guilty of violating any Road Traffic Law.
Your problem may be beyond you but it is nothing to God. Nothing, absolutely nothing is too hard for God to do (Jeremiah 32:27). So go ahead and cast your burdens to the Lord. As you open up your heart to Him and release completely to Him everything troubling you, the anointing of God; the power of God will come upon you and every burden, yoke, and evil load will be lifted from your shoulder (Isaiah 10:27).
Come to the Burden bearer today to remove all unwanted weights from you so you can be as free as a bird to run the race God has marked out for you.