The Burden Bearer

     Have you ever noticed that as humans we have a way of making things harder and more difficult?  And then there are the times that spiral out of our control.  Our wisdom and understanding are so limited.  More than ever we are in need of divine intervention and leadership.  Jesus sees that need and shares his great compassion with us.  “…What pity he felt for the crowds that came because their problems were so great and they didn’t know what to do or where to go for help.  They were sheep without a shepherd.”  Matthew 9:36

     As believers we have a friend who daily bears our burdens.  He just asks that we follow Him.  “Give your burdens to the Lord, He will carry them.”  Psalms 55:22 The psalmist realized that the best action in times of trouble and difficulty was not to run away from our problems but to cast them upon the Lord.  It has been said, “He who once bore the burden of our sins and sorrows requests that we should now and ever permit Him to bear the burden of our cares.”  Friends, do not be alarmed when situations, emotions and experiences are beyond what we can humanly bear for the Lord our God is here with us.  “…Don’t be afraid, for I have ransomed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.  When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you.  When you go through rivers of difficulty you will not drown!  For I am the Lord your God, your Savior, the Holy One of Israel.”  Isaiah 43:1-3

     How constant is our joy to know that in those dark hours we have One to carry our burdens.  There are times we need simply to run into his arms and let him hold us till the storm passes.  What was too hard for us is once again brought within the bearable, not by our strength but by God’s.  “O God my strength!  I will sing your praises for you are my place of safety.  My God is changeless in his love for me and he will come and help me.”   Psalms 60:9,10   In this moment turn to the Burden Bearer and you will once again be established upon solid ground.  Psalms 42:11 …”O my soul, don’t be discouraged.  Don’t be upset.  Expect God to act!  For I know that I shall again have plenty of reason to praise him for all that he will do.. He is my help!  He is my God!”

Sweet Hour of Prayer

green sky

    “Your Father knows what things you have need of before you ask him.”  Matt 6:8   Dwight Moody wrote “The sweetest lesson I have learned in God’s school is to let the Lord choose for me.”  In our blessed hour of prayer our highest aim is to come to the Father with complete confidence that He will do the very best for me and for those I pray.  “Beware in your prayer, above everything of limiting God, not only by unbelief, but by fancying that you know what He can do.”  -Andrew Murray 

    People all through history have experienced times of trouble, insecurity, loneliness, confusion, and great spiritual want.  Today with God having been taken out of our culture we are left empty and deficient in grace.  But for the Christian there is a hiding place, a refuge and a high tower.  It is our time of prayer.  “God is our refuge and strength, a tested help in times of trouble and so we need not fear even if the world blows up, and the mountains crumble into the sea.”  Psalms 46:1,2 

    Come away, come away to a quiet place where you can receive all the love that you need from the Father.  Come to Him, He’ll hold you close, in His perfect love we boast.  Meet with your heavenly Father who is the only lover of your soul.  Only in the sweet hour of prayer can you find what you have been seeking all along.  This is the place of acceptance where I am known and loved unconditionally.  My greatest need is met and I am ready to talk to the Father about my cares- I am ready to listen and learn.  Like Mary I too sit at His feet and hear what is truly important and then arise to resume my duties.

    O how our hearts cry out in prayer for our loved ones as well as for those we don’t know personally.  We desire His answers yet often they are far greater than our faith.  One believer wrote “…sometimes God delays the answer to our prayer in final form until we have time to build up the strength, accumulate the knowledge or fashion the character that would make it possible for Him to say ‘yes’ to what we ask.”  Dear Christian, encourage your heart in God knowing you will meet together once more in your own sweet hour of prayer.  In this quiet place we go prepared to face a new day with greater faith and hope than ever before.  Christian, God is waiting now to meet with you.