Beautifully Burdened
My yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Matthew 11:30
Matthew 11:30
I
awoke to pitch darkness. I hadn’t slept more than thirty minutes and my
heart sensed that sleep wouldn’t return soon. A friend’s husband lay in
the hospital, having received the dreaded news, “The cancer is back—in
the brain and spine now.” My whole being hurt for my friends. What a
heavy load! And yet, somehow my spirit was lifted through my sacred
vigil of prayer. You might say I felt beautifully burdened for them. How could this be?
In Matthew 11:28–30, Jesus promises rest for our weary souls. Strangely, His rest comes as we bend under His yoke and embrace His burden. He clarifies in verse 30, “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” When we allow Jesus to lift our burden from our backs and then tether ourselves to Jesus’s yoke, we become harnessed with Him, in step with Him and all He allows. When we bend under His burden, we share in His sufferings, which ultimately allows us to share in His comfort as well (2 Corinthians 1:5).
My concern for my friends was a heavy burden. Yet I felt grateful that God would allow me to carry them in prayer. Gradually I ebbed back to sleep and awoke—still beautifully burdened but now under the easy yoke and light load of walking with Jesus.
In Matthew 11:28–30, Jesus promises rest for our weary souls. Strangely, His rest comes as we bend under His yoke and embrace His burden. He clarifies in verse 30, “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” When we allow Jesus to lift our burden from our backs and then tether ourselves to Jesus’s yoke, we become harnessed with Him, in step with Him and all He allows. When we bend under His burden, we share in His sufferings, which ultimately allows us to share in His comfort as well (2 Corinthians 1:5).
My concern for my friends was a heavy burden. Yet I felt grateful that God would allow me to carry them in prayer. Gradually I ebbed back to sleep and awoke—still beautifully burdened but now under the easy yoke and light load of walking with Jesus.
Reflect & Pray
What are you carrying today? How will you give that burden to Jesus?
Dear Jesus, please take my heavy load and lay upon me Your beautiful burden for this world.
I loved this devotional. I personally am very empathetic, and I feel for those around me that are suffering. I have a lot of people around me that are carrying a heavy load, and they have leaned on me as friend as source of support and love. God calls us to lean on one another and carry each-others burdens. We should never have to go through things alone in this earthy life. Jesus, wants to carry our heavy burdens, instead of harboring this all alone, we have to give in and fall at the feet of Jesus, He is ready to catch you, just fall.
ReplyDeleteThese are encouraging words... but often so difficult to put into practice. The weight of the world (aka - our own lives) often sits so heavily upon our shoulders, doesn't it? Quiet time in prayer and supplication are one of the only ways to relieve this burden from our own backs and rely upon the Lord.
ReplyDeleteBeing an absolute control freak, one of the hardest things to do in my life on a daily basis is to give my burdens to God. Its hard enough to trust that He is in control and to let go of the reigns. But truly giving him what makes me sad and unhappy, angry and weighed down, that is so difficult. I find that when I am constantly praying, it helps, but I am not sure if I have fully learned to give it all to Him.
ReplyDeleteVery wonderful encouragement!
ReplyDelete