We all have times in our lives when the weight of unresolved issues threaten to overwhelm us. Illness, debt, failed relationships, sorrow over our own mistakes, the crisis we can’t fix, the anxieties of life, etc. Burdens come in all sizes and shapes. We carry ours and sometimes we carry the burdens of others.
One of the invaluable characteristics of our God, our Savior, is that He is the ultimate Burden Bearer. Scripture tells us:
Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, The God who is our salvation. Selah. (New American Standard)
Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, Who bears our burdens and carries us day by day, even the God Who is our salvation! Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! (Amplified)
Psalm 68 begins with extolling the majesty and power of God and then shows us the wonder of God, who stoops to help us.
Let God arise,
Let His enemies be scattered;
Let those also who hate Him flee before Him.
2 As smoke is driven away,
So drive them away;
As wax melts before the fire,
So let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3 But let the righteous be glad;
Let them rejoice before God;
Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly.
4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name;
Extol Him who rides on the clouds,
By His name Yah,
And rejoice before Him.
5 A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows,
Is God in His holy habitation.
6 God sets the solitary in families;
He brings out those who are bound into prosperity;
But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
7 O God, when You went out before Your people,
When You marched through the wilderness, Selah
8 The earth shook;
The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God;
Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9 You, O God, sent a plentiful rain,
Whereby You confirmed Your inheritance,
When it was weary.
10 Your congregation dwelt in it;
You, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor.
11 The Lord gave the word;
Great was the company of those who proclaimed it:
12 “Kings of armies flee, they flee,
And she who remains at home divides the spoil.
13 Though you lie down among the sheepfolds,
You will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver,
And her feathers with yellow gold.”
14 When the Almighty scattered kings in it,
It was white as snow in Zalmon.
15 A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan;
A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan.
16 Why do you fume with envy, you mountains of many peaks?
This is the mountain which God desires to dwell in;
Yes, the Lord will dwell in it forever.
17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand,
Even thousands of thousands;
The Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place.
18 You have ascended on high,
You have led captivity captive;
You have received gifts among men,
Even from the rebellious,
That the Lord God might dwell there.
Then this: 19 Blessed be the Lord, Who bears our burdens and carries us day by day, even the God Who is our salvation! Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
Other places in scripture tell us:
I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4
For my iniquities have gone over my head; Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. Psalm 38:4
Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
“Humble yourselves, then, under God’s mighty hand, so that he will lift you up in his own good time. Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you.” I Peter 5:6-7
There are times we don’t want to give our burdens to the Lord–times when we’ve blown it and feel so guilty, we are sure He won’t be pleased with us. Yet, it is at those time we especially need to go to Him. Because it is at those times when we discover how burdens become a gift.
Nearly 35 years ago now, I sat before a counselor. She heard me pour out the mess of so many of my failings. Guilt strangled me with its grip. “Mary Ellen,” she said, “I want you to do something. Take all the things you feel you’ve done wrong, put them in your hands. Now close your eyes and see Jesus standing before you. Give Him every bit of it and see what He does.”
When I closed my eyes, I saw myself struggling up a steep grade. I was pushing a boulder before me that grew like the snowballs I used to make as a child. Bigger and bigger the boulder grew until I could not see over it. At the top of the grade was Yeshua. When I got to Him, in a flash the boulder disintegrated, and He handed me a huge red quilted heart. It looked like the fancy chocolate boxes sold on Valentine’s Day. He didn’t speak, He just smiled. He took all my sin and gave me love in return. I gasped as tears ran unabated.
At that moment I got hold of grace in a way I’d never seen before. Yeshua took all my failures and gave me something I did not deserve–His Love. There weren’t any accusations or ‘you should have’ statements. No, there was only love, pure, guilt breaking, peace-filled love.
Our burdens turn to gifts when we give them to Yeshua. He takes the weight and replaces it with a deeper revelation of His presence and help. While the crisis may still go on, now we know we are not alone. The One who loves us most is with us to help us.
Go back and read that psalm again. This is the One who is willing and able to bear your burdens. “Cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7
Let’s take some time this week to thank Him for daily bearing our burdens. And if there are burdens you are carrying that you haven’t handed over to Him, please do so. Don’t miss the gift of a deeper revelation of His love.
Shalom my friends. How blessed we are to be His. ♥ ♥ ♥
Hear God's Heart 
Needed this reminder–TY so much!!
You are welcome Sandy. Yes, we all have these times and we often forget when we are in them that He is ever waiting to give us the best exchange for our burdens — more of Him. ❤