When The Load Is Heavy…

This post is written to link with Five Minute Friday: write for five minutes on a one-word prompt. The prompt today is “heavy.”

“Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28 NLT)

Isn’t that what we need right now – rest?

I feel like I know of so many people who are carrying heavy burdens at the moment – burdens of loss, of dealing with past trauma, of marital difficulties, of having to make life-changing decisions, of financial uncertainty. I have a few burdens of my own, and, while I know they’re not as heavy as the burdens many others have to carry, over time they do weigh you down and it is easy for weariness to set in.

And then there’s the general heaviness of the situation in Ukraine. I can’t even imagine the horror of that or the fear and anxiety that must be such an overwhelmingly heavy burden.

I’ve been turning back to my all-time-favourite Psalm lately – Psalm 91. Its words always bring hope and comfort.

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare of the Lord: he alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I am trusting him.
For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from the fatal plague.
He will shield you with his wings. He will shelter you with his feathers. His faithful promises are your armour and protection.” (Psalm 91:1-4 NLT)

I love that image of God sheltering us under his wings, keeping us safe in the midst of disaster; that in him we can find refuge and shelter no matter what situation we’re in; the encouragement that, even when we don’t understand our circumstances, his promises are true.

And the challenge is to live in that shelter (some translations use the word “dwell”). We are not called just to visit God’s presence; we are called to abide there, to constantly allow him to shelter us, to look to him, and to allow him to carry our heavy burdens.

There’s great encouragement in knowing that we don’t have to do it alone!

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.” (Isaiah 26:3 NLT)