Heavy Burdens?

 

Tuesday — a day of fatigue. I can blame staying up too late last night but hoped a Blue Jay win would perk me up. Finally, I went to bed long before the tie-breaking home run by the Dodgers. 

This morning, God reminded me that weariness happens because of the energy it takes to stay connected to needy people. Our granddaughter made it to Canada, was not allowed to fly to our city and sent to a nearby hospital on the west coast. Today, she is released to fly and trying to get a ticket, last we knew. This five days of long-distance care has drained my emotional resources, was lifted on Sunday by the music and message, and two surprising and wonderful answers to prayer. But I am still tired. 

Relationships are complex and I long for the day when all brokenness, whether hearts or bones, gives way to perfection. I also look forward to an eternity of no more grudges or complaining, hard-heartedness or fragile-hearts, hurt feelings or bullying, broken communication, innuendo or bravado or anything that hides the beauty of Jesus, the One who calls the weary and heavy laden to come to Him for rest:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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.” (Matthew 11:28–30)

I note this says “souls” and not “bodies” and know that watching sports doesn’t give that physical rest either. Instead, this is rest for the weariness of trying to carry the things that burden me, rest that only Jesus can give — for He isn’t into giving me a load too heavy and that I have to carry myself.
These days of deep concern for our GD bring words like, “God bless you” yet we Christians tend to interpret that to mean comfort and no problems. The Lord’s definition of blessing is not always about the perks of living…

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. (Psalm 32:1–2)
Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin. (Romans 4:7–8)

One writer says he is blessed: “whether I live in a penthouse or an outhouse, drive a BMW or pedal a bicycle, feast on caviar or munch on a crust of bread, have a retirement fund or live from paycheck to paycheck, wear updated fashion or hand-me-downs…” There is no greater state of blessedness than simply to be in Christ, and to know that He is looking out for me. 

That said, I’m not to use what I have been blessed with for my own glory. It is not wrong to be on the comfortable side of things, but to fix my trust and reliance on them is to rob God of His due. He is my Creator, Lord of all, supreme over all things, even the discomforts and trials of life. To make personal comfort my sole goal is idolatry. Complaining is evidence of that sinful goal, also evidence that I think my ideas and desires are more worthy than His. Shame on me. He sends me to bed when I’m tired, but I still try to run my own life. This can show up in prayer by my impatience, and my telling Him what to do rather than surrendering to His will. If I limit Him that way, I would miss all His awesome surprises.

PRAY: I notice that fatigue can easily send me away from You and also into self-pity, which is another way of mocking Your goodness, as if You do not care. The gospel is always the answer to this and other foolishness. You died for me that I might live. Whatever else happens is part of Your good plan to transform me into Your image. All my complaining only slows the process and robs You of glory. So I come to You for rest from my anxieties and ask clarification concerning “light burdens” because You do ask me to be yoked with You.

Caught by Surprise

Genesis 33; Esther 9–10; Mark 4; Romans 4

When my hubby was transferred to another part of the country for his work, we lived in a city about 15-20 miles from a well-known Bible college. I decided to go back to school and was the only grandmother in classes. One winter morning the drive to my classes was terrible. The temperature had gone up in the night and it rained, then got colder again. There was two inches of ice on the road. When I got to school, I realized I’d left an assignment at home that was due that day. I mentioned it to the women in the distance learning office where I hung my coat. The policy was 10% deductions for late papers and I dreaded taking a quick trip back home to get it.

After morning chapel, one of those ladies asked for my house key. “I have to go to the bank anyway, so I will pick up your assignment.” She did. I still remember looking at her as if I was seeing the face of God in this unexpected kindness.

In Genesis 33, Jacob is in a scary situation. His brother Esau had threatened to kill him. When they met on Jacob’s way home, Jacob prepared a large gift for his brother, arranged his family in groups, and hoped for the best.

He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept . . . Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company that I met?” (the large gift) Jacob answered, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.” But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” Jacob said, “No, please, if I have found favor in your sight, then accept my present from my hand. For I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me. Please accept my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” Thus he urged him, and he took it. (Genesis 33:3-4; 8–11)

Unexpected kindness. I know how it feels when God orchestrates a blessing that goes outside the norm. He spared me a scary drive and the need to skip a class to make it. He spared Jacob a hostile encounter with a brother he’d not seen in years. God is like that. He also rescued the Jews in the time of Esther from the edict of a king, turning a huge threat into a blessing that the Jewish people celebrate with joy to this day. Unexpected power.

In Mark 4, this power comes up again — as a surprise. The story is told of Jesus falling asleep in the boat during a storm. His disciples thought they would perish and that He didn’t care. But He did . . .

And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:39–41)

He saved their lives but that was not the only salvation they needed . . . Unexpected redemption.

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” (Romans 4:7–8)

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6–8)

God provided a Savior. I may have been able to drive from the college to my home on that icy highway, but I cannot save myself from the power and penalty of sin, not can a friend or even a brother come to my rescue. I need Jesus, not one who looks or acts like Jesus, but Jesus Himself. He alone is my Redeemer and realizing this amazing truth is both unexpected and increasingly delightful. Thank You Jesus for Your great unexpected kindness and saving power.

Everyone lives according to what they believe!

Thoroughly believing in something changes my behavior. If I believe my house is on fire, I will stop what I am doing and run outside. If I believe the grapes in the market are ripe and sweet, I will part with my money and buy them. If I believe my child’s life is in danger, I will protect him. If I believe that Jesus died for my sin, I will stop feeling guilty and feel the joy of a forgiven person.

If “Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God” but this is not what Abraham believed . . .  

For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, (Romans 4:2–5)

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” (Romans 4:7–8 quoting Psalm 32:1-2)

Believing this changed my life. The greater my understanding of the depth and breadth of both my sin and the gracious forgiveness of God, the greater the change!

A neighbor once said to me, “Maybe you just changed yourself?” I said not yet at the time couldn’t explain why not. I know now that our lives are always based on what we believe. If I believe I could be saved by going to church every Sunday, or by being baptized, or by trying to do the things Christians are supposed to do, I would be living that way without any faith in God, trusting myself for my salvation. God says that is not acceptable. I fall short.

If I believed that salvation was only for those with the outward trappings, I would be saying that people like Abraham are God’s people because circumcision marks them as His. But that cannot be. For one thing, it leaves out women who were never circumcised in Israel, and for another, God says this is not the means of salvation.

Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. (Romans 4:9–12)

Whether circumcision, or any other form of action or behavior, unless it comes from faith, it is mere imitation, different from the life that is changed because I totally believe what God has said. This message is repeated over and over in Romans and throughout the Bible. What I do does not save me or change me. I live according to what I believe and believing what God says results in change. God calls this grace, undeserved blessing that comes through faith, faith like Abraham, faith like generations of believers since this father of faith.

For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. (Romans 4:13–17)

^^^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, every day You show me that the behavior I am not pleased with, or that is not producing love, peace and joy, comes from believing something false, something You do not say. I’m learning new ways to think, learning how I must not conform to the world’s way of thinking, discovering where my mind should focus. If I take care of the innermost me where You dwell, then the outside me does what You want it to do. Focus on Jesus — such an amazing plan for being transformed into Your likeness!

Today’s thankful list . . .

The gift of salvation by grace through faith (even though it is not as easy as it sounds)!

Blessed as I prayed with others.

A great workout and an exceptional trainer.

Fun of watching the men’s soccer team working out and enjoying it.

Google maps on my phone — works wonderfully well.

A hubby willing to not only take me out for groceries but carry them from car to house and help put them away.

Sunshine after a rainy morning.

My idea for granddaughter’s birthday exactly matched what she wants to do.