“Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you, and carry you.” (Ps.55:22; Isa.46:4). “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. My yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt.11:29).
Lord Jesus, on this January Sunday, we are grateful you are peacefully, joyfully ruling the cosmos from the throne of grace. Yours is the most ready and kind welcome we will ever receive. You abound in burden bearing love and rest-giving grace. That is good news every day, including this one.
Yesterday you gave me an image that I cannot get out of my mind, and I don’t want to move on from until I personally respond. With the eye of faith, I saw four really nice leather backpacks—each attractive to me for very different reasons.
The first backpack is chock-full of past regrets and accumulated shame. The second backpack holds bruised/broken relationships, resentments, and unforgiveness. The third backpack contains the pressure, stress, and worries that come with trying to fix or change people. The fourth backpack was specially designed for your “easy yoke and light burden.”
I felt your Spirit’s witness, telling me to choose only one of these to carry for the rest of my life. The choice is a no-brainer and full-heart-er. Of course, I choose #4, Jesus—your “easy yoke and light burden.” #4 is the only backpack that actually carries us more than we carry it. But I woke up today realizing, that means I have to leave the other three backpacks behind.
And though that is the right, freeing, Gospel-thing to do… It’s not easy, Jesus. So HELP! Every time I’m tempted to reach for one—or all of those other three backpacks—supernaturally, providentially, kindly “swat my hand,” Jesus. Thank you, and So Very Amen.