What's Your Burden

"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. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Mt 11:29-30)

Years ago God gave me a picture of this verse which gave me an understanding that I've never heard taught from the pulpit: Jesus' burden was that He was going to the cross. He knew long before it happened that it would happen. That was why He came. We go through our lives crying at our circumstances (real or contrived). We're mad at not being rescued everytime whether it was our choices that got us there in the first place or "just fate". Take a moment and realize the truth in this verse: Jesus' burden was that He was going to the cross. I know I just said that exact thing ~ copy & paste is great when emphasizing something. He said His burden is light. He knew He would die for the salvation of many, but would have done if it were just for the salvation of one ~ you.

How heavy is that burden you're carrying? Would you lay it down for the lightness of the cross?

There are two parts to this verse. I've talked about the second, but I can't let you miss the first part: His yoke is easy. He was yoked to His own cross on which He would die. Many people don't know or don't remember the significance of a yoke. If you look it up you will find it is simply a type of harness used on beasts of burden to pull whatever they are charged to pull. The yoke He's offering in this verse is a dual yoke. This means that two beasts of comparable size and strength are to pull the load. Jesus' offering of His yoke tells me that He knows we have the same strength He had to pull His burden of the cross AND that He doesn't want you to be alone in your burden.

How did Jesus gain the strength it required to die on the cross? By spending time with His Father. He sought God in all He did before doing it. I had a pastor years ago who used to chastise the flock for not spending the first 2.4 hours of our day in prayer with the Lord. Most of us worked full-time (or more) jobs and didn't have the energy to expend in a concentrated time with the Lord before going to the job. It was in realizing what and when Jesus did things that I was able to be freed of the condemnation that pastor had put on us. A tithe of my day is 2.4 hours, but nowhere in God's word do I see it to be the FIRST 2.4 hours. The tithe was always the BEST of the crop. Therefore, God wants the best 2.4 hours I can give Him in any day & they don't have to be consecutive.

Give God the best of your time. Lay all of your burdens down at His feet. He will show you His glory.

Walking in the glory of the God who created me for His pleasure.

And I will Give you Rest

Today the verse "come to Me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest for your souls" seems to be the appropriate verse on which I should reflect. I consider myself a doer. I have difficulty allowing others to do things for me ~ even when what I'm doing is clearly beyond my own limitations. There are many reasons for this that I won't go into here. Those who know me well can surmise for yourselves. God gives me many opportunities to share my life with others. I feel strongly about it being necessary to put myself out there to help in any way I can.

During this season of having had major surgery and not being able to do much I am now realizing it is a forced rest. I believe fully in God's timing for my life. So much so that even tho' I'd been having pain and struggles for months before finally having surgery I knew that whatever happened would be in God's hands. I am now realizing this time of rest was a plan for God to prepare me for what's coming next. Granted I don't know what's coming next, but I just recognized that when God has something big for me to accomplish that He's always given me a rest beforehand. (Picture me being thwacked on the back of the head with the "duh" look on my face.)

What are you doing now that God has told you to take a rest in it? Take the time to reflect on your motives and your heart (sometimes the two are separate when they should be one).

Letting my soul rest in Him until He raises me back to my feet.

Stayin Awake

I had a friend years ago who said if he awoke at times such as 2:02AM, 3:03AM, etc that God was telling him to specifically pray for people. I told him that when I awake at any time during the night I would go to God in prayer. My first response is to praise Him for giving me a place to sleep other than the street. After that praise time I would allow for the possibility that He had more for me so I would stop to listen to Him. He would always place something in my heart. Sometimes it was to pray for somebody else, sometimes it was to pray for my needs and sometimes it was for me to just rest in knowing who I am in Him.

What is your first thought when you awaken? Psalm 4:8 says "I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety." If the Lord awakens you during the night seek what He has for you in those precious moments.

Resting in the knowledge of the Holy.

Revealing

Matthew 10:26 & Luke 12:2 say that there is nothing covered that will not be revealed and nothing that is hidden that will not be known. In our day-to-day lives we come across people who seek out their own glory. It may be a boss, a co-worker, somebody in the church or just a person serving you at a retail establishment or fast-food restaurant. It may even be you. "What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world yet loses his own soul." This comes from Matthew 16:26 & Mark 8:36. I see these two different scriptures as related to each other. As people seek to gain their own glory and fame and wealth they neglect the two truths: one day their motives will be revealed and they are going to be eternally lost.

What are you seeking when you go about your day? Are you putting God's will for your life first or are you simply "getting by" until the last day? We are responsible for the people God has placed in our lives. If you are in a place of authority over people, how are you affecting them in what you do every day? If we seek our own goals without putting God first then we are lost in self-glorification. My challenge to you is to seek Him first in ALL you do and let Him choose your reward. I guarantee that it will be above and beyond all you can ask or imagine.

I'm sitting here with a huge imagination and looking to the glory of Christ. In that I bless you with the joy of knowing that God has more for you than you could ever dream.

Psalm 68:19

"Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation!"

Amazing! We continue to make bad decisions, yet God daily loads us with benefits. He provides our needs and even gives us what we want sometimes. We grumble about not getting everything we want and forget the truth that God knows what's best for us. We ask for things in our humaness not in our godliness. In other words, allowing His heart to rule and reign in our hearts will cause us to ask for godly things not for selfish things.

What are you asking Him for that you haven't received yet? Search your heart and ask Him what He wants to give you. If you seek Him first in all you do, He will show you who He is.

I'm living a life being blessed in the benefits He has been pouring into me daily.

First Post

I thought I'd create a new blog to share truth's about life, the world and other things. This is just a start so I'm not certain what will come out of it. I'll be happy for suggestions on topics. One thing I do know is that I will often talk about my walk with the Lord. I will also share my journey in my business. Join me as we take a marathon look at life...