Burden: September 23, 2013

TODAY’S WORD FOR MONDAY SEPTEMBER 23, 2013.

BURDEN

DEFINITION: 

That which is borne, physically or spiritually; that which is carried with difficulty; load; trouble; weight; stress; strain; responsibility; guilt.

SCRIPTURE:

Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you. He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22.

For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Mathew 11:30.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

I (Ken) was born in China but left with my parents when I was only six months old. Several years ago we were privileged to go back to China and we saw where I was born and what life was like today in that country. Although they have become quite modernized we saw things you would never see in the United States.

One of the things that stood out to us was the heavy physical burdens that men and women would carry on their backs or on their bikes. It amazed us to still see men and women riding bicycles burdened down with heavy loads just as they lived years ago. We saw items stacked dangerously high on their bikes as they pedaled down the road. We couldn’t help but wonder if they would make it to their destination. We saw women caring their young child in a sling as they rode a loaded bicycle to their destination.

Over the years we have seen many times in many other areas of the world people carrying heavy loads on their heads, on their backs or in hand pulled carts. This has given us a real understanding of the word "burden."

We can usually find a way to carry or move heavy physical loads from one place to another, but there are burdens that are hard to find a way to carry. They are the ones that affect us emotionally, mentally or spiritually. It may be a spousal concern, a parent/child problem, a family issue, a problem at work, financial stresses or much more. These are burdens that basically are too heavy for one to carry alone. Today we describe a person dealing with these types of burdens as a person that is "carrying a lot of baggage."

Most people who are believers in Jesus today are carrying heavy spiritual burdens because they have not learned to put their burden in the hands of the Lord. All those who have not accepted the Lord as their Savior are carrying the heavy burden of their sin. Jesus does not want us to bear the burden of our sins so He took our burden of sin upon Himself and carried them to the cross. In Jesus time on earth he experienced all the hardships and burdens of life that we experience so He understands our struggles in life and knows how heavy our burdens are. Not only does Jesus care about our burden of sin but He cares about our burden of hardships in life. 

A person that does not know Jesus has no one to help carry his or her burden. But the person that knows Jesus can give "ALL" that burden to Him. The verse we have listed above says it all. The Lord says to "Cast your burden on the Lord, and he shall sustain you." "Sustain" means to support or bear the weight of or keep from giving way.  What a comfort to know that God wants to bear the weight of our burdens and keep us from giving way under the heavy load of a burden.

Jesus knew from experience that it would be tough for believers in this sin filled world. He knew that believers needed to support one another. Jesus taught that we are to carry the burdens of others. Paul wrote in Galatians 6:2, “Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.” The law of Christ is to love one another (John 13:34). There is no greater way to show love to another than by carrying his or her burden.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 27:5

For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.

PRAYER:

Help me today to give the burdens I carry to You. Give me the insight to see others that are carrying burdens so that I can show them the way to You. Thank You for the assurance I have that You are with me every moment of every day waiting to carry my burdens if I am willing to cast them on You.