One of the great invitations of the Lord is found in Matthew 11, and it reads:
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Mt. 11:28-30).
Are you fatigued by the tremendous load you now bear? Do you feel as if you have the weight of the world resting upon your shoulders? Do you need refreshing? Then do I have the solution for you. His name–Jesus! His book–the Bible!
Do you bear the burden of . . .
. . . Poor health, the prescription is James 5:14-15. “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up.”
. . . A spouse who is not a Christian, the answer is 1 Corinthians 7:14,16. “For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?”
. . . Loneliness, the companionship is 2 Timothy 4:16-18. “At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me:… Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
. . . Discouragement, the encouragement is Galatians 6:9. “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
. . . Being a Christian who sins, the solution is 1 John 1: 4-10. “…But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
Do your burdens seem too heavy to bear alone? If you answered yes, you are exactly right. You cannot do it alone. There are some burdens that good Christian friends can help you bear–“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2). On the other hand, there is one friend who can and will help you with every burden. His name is Jesus.
Have a wonderful day, and I trust you’ll search for Jesus–your burden bearer.
–Neil Richey