Share Your Burdens With The Lord

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Psalm 68:19 

  

  Over the years my family and friends have prayed for me, encouraged, and supported me. No one has done so as much as my wife. I have shared trouble and turmoil with her for over 34 years. We have shared and borne each other's burdens.  

  Nevertheless, I do not place the full weight of my daily burdens related to my various afflictions upon my wife’s shoulders. Early in our marriage I did so, but over time I realized that if I could hardly bear all the turmoil of my daily struggles, my wife could not do so.  

  Thus, I began to selectively share my burdens. For the major things afflicting me I would ask her to pray and keep her apprised of what I was dealing with. But the daily grind of troubles I cast upon the strong shoulders of the Lord and no longer involve my wife with these issues. If I cannot bear them alone, how can I ask my wife to carry them? 

  

Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22 

  

  The only thing worse than bottling up and trying to conceal all of your troubles is to cast all of your problems upon everyone around you. While you should share your needs, concerns, and burdens with others, you should know that there is only One Source who can truly do anything to help you through everything. That Person is Jesus Christ. Rely fully upon Him to get you through, out of, and restored for all of your burdens. 

  Prayer: Dear Lord, each day brings fresh challenges and we turn to You for our daily bread. We ask for the strength to endure and overcome all of our burdens. Amen. 

Be Good To Your Neighbor

“‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:18 

  

  Years ago, the BBC had a television series called: “Lark Rise To Candleford”. I much enjoyed that series for the stories it told about interactions between neighbors and how neighbor helped neighbor. It was generally a “feel good” television series. 

  Awhile back I stepped out of my front door and heard an argument. I looked down my suburban neighborhood street and saw two neighbors in a shouting match with each other. It grieved me to hear such hatred and nastiness directed back and forth at one another. 

  God gave us a “Golden Rule” to follow in our relationships with one another. To love your neighbor as yourself is one of the most important, and sometimes one of the most difficult of God’s rules to follow. For our neighbor does not always make it easy to love them. 

  In the bigger picture, everyone across the world is our neighbor. We share the same planet and our actions or inactions can have great consequence clear across the globe. When our neighbor on the other side of the planet is suffering and in pain we should care and treat them as we would like to be treated if we were in their shoes. 

  Whether close or far away, when in our power, let us always do good and be good to our neighbor. For those of us enduring affliction it is not difficult understand the pain and suffering of another. We who hurt can certainly understand the pain of others. We reveal our best Christian selves when we love our neighbor and do the work of Christ by showing them compassion and love. 

  Prayer: Dear Lord, You have been so good to us, help us to always show Your Love and be good to our neighbors. Amen. 

When Troubles Stack Up

For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me. Psalm 40:12 

  

  Have you ever had a time when troubles come so fast you can hardly keep track of them? Such seasons of trouble feel overwhelming. I’ve had things get so bad that I almost laugh at the insanity of it all, thinking to myself: “You couldn’t make this stuff up, it is unbelievable.” 

  Such times of trouble seem incredible, impossible. It is unbelievable that someone who is already in dire straits could have yet more trouble piling on an already perilous situation. 

  There are situations when you feel things are so overwhelming that just one more thing will sink you. And then another, and yet another weighty problem arrives. 

  The fact is we would all be sunk if not for God intervening so many times and in so many different ways. God turns seemingly impossible situations into solved problems. Often it will take time to sort out difficulties, but if we are patient, and keep the faith, God can solve our problems one by one and lessen what appears overwhelming to us. 

  I have thought many times that God needs a name meaning: “The God Who Turns Things Around.” I have seen God do so many times in my life. We might also call Him: “The God Who Solves Stacks Of Troubles.” For He does this for us over and over again as well. 

  Troubles do not always come individually, but often they quickly multiply. We need a God with big enough shoulders to carry our multiplied problems. Thankfully we do in the Person of Jesus Christ. 

  Your troubles may be multiplying, stacking up one upon another, yet we have a God that does not fear troubles, and is well able to solve them all. 

  Prayer: Dear Lord, help us never to forget that You are much bigger than our problems, no matter how much they are multiplied. Amen. 

Serving God

Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling. Psalm 2:11 

  

  The greatest honor in life is to serve the Lord. To be used by Him to help other believers, or to help unbelievers to find the Lord as their Savior--this is a great honor. 

  Believers have a special relationship with Christ because His Holy Spirit lives within every believer and the power of God is manifest through us. We can draw upon our friendship with God to guide and enable us to show His kindness to others and minister in a variety of ways. 

 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17 

  

  A word of encouragement, a kind act, a small sacrifice, it does not take gigantic efforts to serve others and thus serve the Lord. Whatever we do to help others in His Name is ministry to and for Christ. 

  When we are ill, disabled, tied to a wheelchair or sickbed, it does not seem that we have anything to offer. Yet love and kindness are not the purview of the able-bodied. Nothing and no one can prevent you from showing love and kindness from whatever position your abilities or limitations provide you in life. 

  God is love. When we are empowered by God we are empowered by love. Let love be your guiding force in life. It can open your eyes to opportunities of kindness and encouragement that can change the life of another. 

  Looking back over my life the people who stand out most to me are those who have embodied love and kindness. Whether they knew it or not they were reflecting God, and ministered to me, changing the course of my life, and giving me a new perspective on life. 

  Do not think you have nothing to offer due to an affliction or disability. Allow God to live and love through you. In this way you are of great service to God. 

  Prayer: Dear Lord, it seems we have so little to offer You. Help us to allow Your love to manifest through us and minister to a hurting world. Amen. 

Weary In Body And Soul

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 

  

  A nurse asked me: “How do you feel, how are you doing?” 

  I told her: “I wake up exhausted. I’m exhausted all day. Then I go to bed exhausted.” 

  That is a typical day, and why I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. A good day for me is not one in which I have no fatigue, but one in which I can push past my fatigue and accomplish something. Many days I cannot push past the fatigue. 

  What do the words of Jesus mean when He says He will give us rest? It cannot mean He will remove all physical fatigue. At least not on this side of heaven, for even the well and healthy believer still find themselves weary on more than one occasion. 

  I think Jesus was talking about eternal things regarding entering His rest on the other side of heaven, but also a particular type of rest on earth as well. Jesus relieves us of our struggle to try and please God by human efforts, and Jesus gives us peace in our heart and soul no matter our condition or circumstances. 

  We know that no matter what comes in life we have a Redeemer, a loving Lord who gives us a peace beyond human understanding in our very human circumstances. 

  

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27 

  

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Isaiah 26:3 

  

  Yes, the Lord gives rest for the weary soul. And with peace inside, we are less stressed and fatigued outside. 

  Call upon Jesus to give your weary soul rest. Ask Him to give you strength for the tasks and burdens you face each day. He is a God who gives peace and spiritual strength to the weary soul. 

  When you are weary in body and soul remember that there is One who goes with you in this life. You can call upon Jesus in your weakness to find the strength to keep going even when your strength is small. 

  Prayer, Dear Lord, this life leaves us weary and worn out. We need strength and peace to put one foot in front of the other. Help us Lord. Amen.