Carrying Burdens?

One way that God gives me a sense of direction, either for prayer or action, is by the use of burdens. If something lays heavy on my heart, I need to pray. If action is required, God will make His will known.

There is a difference between a burden and worry, or a burden because of sin. Both worry and sin are indications that I am not trusting God. If that is true, then I need to confess my lack of faith before doing anyting else. Sometimes I say, “God, if this is from You, then I accept it. If not, then show me what this is all about, or change it.”

Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. (Psalm 55:22)

Normally this verse is interpreted that I take my concerns to God so He will fix them, but I’ve learned God desires a deeper purpose and motivation. He wants me to toss burdens or concerns on His shoulders so He can show me what He doing. Then I can pray according to His will instead of my ‘I wants.’ He promises to sustain me by supplying all needs and supporting me through carrying that burden and any action He asks me to take. He will not permit me to fall as long as I am obedient to His will.

Chambers says some burdens are wrong because they are not from God. He also says there are burdens that God puts on me that He wants me to roll back on Him. God isn’t giving me responsibility concerning the burden, but teaching me to trust Him with it as I pray, even as I do something related to the burden.

This morning’s television news contained a segment about a group taking action against a particular injustice in our country. I felt burdened by their plea for help. The group needs money, but also volunteers. Is this burden from God? I don’t know yet, but I do know to pray about it and wait on the Lord. If He wants me to jump in, He will make that clear. I also know that I must not jump in without His leading. I’ve been there and done that, and all it does is create a greater burden, one that He never intended that I carry.

“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)

Jesus used two words for burden in this verse. ‘Heavy laden’ refers to a cargo shipment, a large load that might be put in a container on a ship. The other ‘burden’ is a word meaning the invoice! This is the easy load that He gives His people. Not only is it light, but He helps us carry it.

He also promises rest. Yet I’ve learned that a rested soul is not equal to a rested body. Some of the burdens He puts on me require labor in prayer and labor in giving His task the attention He wants. I get tired, but if the thing is from God, I am not overly wrought, upset, worried, or doubtful. It is just an invoice.

Truly Jesus sustains, as long as I take time to find out what I am supposed to do with my burdens!

Expect to be surprised

But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. (Galatians 1:15–17)

Paul learned early that in serving God he had to make room for Him. That is, when he planned or even prayed that this and that would happen, he realized that the will of God could surprise him

God isn’t a puppet or a genie in a bottle. We often tack “according to your will” on the ends of our prayers without fully grasping the reality that God does as He chooses. I’m certain that He even enjoys surprising me with answers to my prayers that I did not expect.

Paul hinted at God’s surprises in several places, but I particularly like this one:

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20–21)

The KJV translates this as: “Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think . . .” and from this and years of experience, I can say that I’ve never been able to second-guess God. I might tell Him what I would like Him to do, but have learned that His ways are not my ways. He has far better plans than I could ever imagine. Time and time again, He has proven this true with surprises upon surprises.

Chambers says do not look for God to come in any particular way, but just look for Him. That is the way to make room for Him. I can expect Him to come, and expect Him to answer, but cannot expect Him only in a certain way. Even after years of getting to know Him, it is common to overlook this element of surprise. When Peter was in jail, Christians prayed for his release yet were so surprised when he showed up at their prayer meeting that the woman who answered the door left him standing there while she ran to tell the others.

God never works in predictable ways. What He does is always beyond what I hoped for, better than my imagination (and I have a very active imagination). He does what is according to His good pleasure!

Chambers offer this advice: “Keep your life so constant in its contact with God that His surprising power may break out on the right hand and on the left. Always be in a state of expectancy, and see that you leave room for God to come in as He likes.” The key here is trusting Him to do as He likes — for He is God and I am not.

This gives me great expectations to face the challenges of today and of this new week!

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Bob finally got some sleep during the night and is more alert today. His nose is sore from the increased oxygen, but at least he is not short of breath. His feet are still swollen and he has lots of bruising from the blood thinners. His doctor wrote on the whiteboard in his room that his expected release from the hospital would be “greater than 5 days.” We played cribbage today, which he could not have done a couple days ago. All these improvements are answers to prayer, but as he says, he is still very sick. His lungs are not any clearer even though he more easily breathes and moves around. We are both thankful for the prayers of God’s people and know that the Lord hears them all.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. (Lamentations 3:22–26)

Curiosity and seeking wisdom

Two things are on my heart today. The first one is interesting, even delightful . . .

I’ve been reading a book called “How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci” which is of course secular without much to say about God. However, it does offer some good advice. One is that a wise person should never stop being curious. Up to Da Vinci’s time, this was far from the norm. People plodded through life, dull of mind and in the dark. He changed that and changed the world. Part of what made the difference was his curious mind.  

The Bible says nothing about curiosity but a great deal about seeking understanding, wisdom and insight, qualities that can be gained by being curious . . .

The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown. (Proverbs 4:7–9)

The book recommends making a long list of the things I wonder about, that rouse my curiosity. I’ve not started that list, but I suspect many items on it will be about spiritual matters. A danger of using curiosity to find wisdom is turning such a search into an academic exercise, or a trivial pursuit. Adding data to my brain does not make me wiser, even though it might give me more information.

A huge danger of increased knowledge is that it “puffs up” or builds arrogance. This is not the attitude of a godly person. The Bible tells us to, “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:5–7)

The last part of that passage brings me to the second thing on my heart, which is far from delightful and concerns the health of a family member. He is in the hospital and each report sounds more ominous. He may not recover. For this, I am to, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” (Psalm 55:22)

But I am moved, not in the sense of the verse, but in the sense of moving near to God and bringing this situation to Him. The Bible says that, “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.” (Nahum 1:7) In this ‘day of trouble’ God calls me to run to Him for help, consolation, even wisdom to know how to pray. Do I pray for healing? Do I pray for mercy and grace that suffering is not lengthy? It is easy to know what we want, but much more difficult to know the will of God and pray for it.

In that regard, perhaps the curiosity promoted by the Da Vinci book is related to seeking the Lord in prayerful intercession, only in this case, I’m not wondering why a daisy is white or how thunder clouds form. Instead, I want to know the best way to pray for someone who seems to be entering the valley of the shadow of death. Curiosity may be delightful, but it does have a sad and difficult side.

Where He leads, I must follow

Over the past few months, the Lord has led us to downsize and move to a new home, as well as change to a new church. If that were not traumatic enough, He has also directed me to finish the Master’s degree that I started almost twenty years ago. With fear and trembling, I sent my application yesterday. 

We have been questioned about the leading of God. Some nod their heads with understanding. Others have said things like, “You are just doing what you wanted to do anyway.” Whether God’s leading is understood or not, the Bible is filled with verses of His promise to do so.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. (Psalm 32:8)

Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. (Psalm 25:8–9)

For me, the important thoughts in these verses are “the way you should go” and “the humble.” I need to be firmly fixed that whatever God tells me is right for me, the way that I should go, not the way that makes sense, or follows what I want, but recognizing that God knows what is best for me. 

This requires humility. If I think that I know what I should do, I am relying on myself and not on God. He has something to say about that also.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5–6)

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)

Whether in stubborn rebellion or naïve self-trust, going my own way is the essence of sin. It may not seem like it, for sin is deceptive, but without Jesus Christ, I cannot do anything that pleases God. Further, this sinless Son of God said, “Not my will, but Thine be done.” Jesus, who had a perfect self-will, trusted the Father with all His heart. What makes me think I should do anything less?

For all of these reasons, and in each situation of making decisions, we had to examine our own hearts, especially our own “I wants” to make sure that we were not merely doing what we wanted to do. That would be contrary to the leading of God, and not complying with Scripture’s definition of following His counsel. 

I’m aware that any decision is going to have mixed motivations. I could think of many reasons for staying in our former home and many reasons for moving. Because of those conflicting rationalities, it is important to come to the same attitude as Jesus and be able to say, “It does not matter what I want, only that Your will be done” and really mean it. As a mission agency once told us, we need to “prepare to go, but be willing to stay.”

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Lord, the decisions made have given us peace, but we could not be certain peace would come until after we determined to follow Your leading. I also know that the ramifications of any decision can be contrary to our expectations. I could do well with this degree program, or find out that my brain will not work well enough at my age to finish the courses. Yet I am certain this is the direction I’m supposed to take, no matter the outcome. For that, I am grateful and praise You for leading and guiding Your people.

Persistent Prayer

In an age when some say that the light of Christianity is growing dim, I was encouraged to hear of a young man who had his eye on a young woman, but instead of making his move, he sought God’s will. For him, this was not a simple matter nor one that warranted a mere quick prayer. Instead, he prayed for an entire year to make sure dating her would meet God’s favor.

While questions could be asked about the delayed answer, I’m awestruck by this person’s dedication to obedience. He wanted to make the best choice and who better to ask than God who knows all things.

Jesus, in His humanity, laid aside certain aspects of His deity that He might be like us in all things. By this, He showed us how we ought to trust our heavenly Father and function as people of faith. He set the example in seeking the will of God before making a major decision. 

In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles. (Luke 6:12–13)

In Jesus’ situation, He prayed all night. Unlike us, He had no growing to do, no maturing of mind and body before God would reveal to Him which men to select. He also did not have to prove His persistence to want the right choice. He was sinless and mature, deeply in tune with the mind of God, yet He set the example by praying all night.

I can pray for an hour or two. I usually need a list to help me focus. Sometimes I use the prayers of others, repeating those ideas in my own words. I also use Scripture because it is good to pray God’s Word back to Him; then I know for certain that I am praying in His will.

For the past forty years, God has been teaching me to pray about everything, but I still forget or get sidetracked. Pride? Perhaps. Scattered mind? For certain. Could I pray all night? I’m doubtful. Could I pray for a year, or even more, about a decision? Perhaps. I’m continually seeking the will of God for daily choices, and continually praying for family, friends, our church, civic leaders, and other burdens and concerns. Even at that, I am both blessed and convicted by the dedication of one young person to seek the will of God in his choice of a life partner. 

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Father, first I thank You that You have people of faith who demonstrate their trust in You in this way. Bless this young man and his chosen partner. Grant them great grace and Your blessing on their lives. May they always be this conscientious toward Your will in their decisions.

Second, I thank You for Your patience with me for the many times I have done what I thought was best without even thinking to ask You about it. I know that some would chide me and say that “God gave you a brain — use it” but You certainly gave Your Son a brain too. He never did anything without seeking Your will. Even near the end of His life here, He said, “Not my will, but Thine be done.” Give me the same heart and attitude so that no matter what lies before me, I am determined to think, speak and act according to Your will. May I be determined to spend whatever time in prayer that is necessary in order to find out what You want from me.

Wholehearted commitment

Yesterday a dear friend told me about another young woman who has learned to talk with God about everything. Large or small, for her all matters and decisions are prayer concerns.

I was impressed. No one does that unless they have realized two things: first, that in their own weakness and inability they will fail to make the best choices, and second, that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts. No matter how good our intentions, His will is always superior and worth seeking.

This morning’s devotional reading is about having my life dedicated to Him. The verse says,

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (Colossians 3:17)

Doing something in the name of another means doing it as the other person’s representative. This is not about my will, ideas, or wishes. It is about doing the will of God, and like this young woman has learned, that means going to Him and finding out what His will is.

I’ve heard people despair over this, moaning, “Oh, if I just knew the will of God on this . . .” as if He is hiding it from them. That isn’t the picture I get from my experience, or from Scripture. The Bible says,

The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. (Deuteronomy 29:29)

God will reveal even His secrets. He wants me to obey Him, and how can I do it if I don’t know what He is asking me to do?

For me, the perplexity of not knowing His will is tied up with my attitude. If I have my mind made up about what I want to do and am looking for God’s rubber stamp on it, then He may keep me in the dark. If I have already decided or assumed what He wants, I’m also not ready to obey Him.

God knows my heart. He also knows if I am ready to do what He says, yet this goes two ways. I need to obey what I already know before He gives me more information. I need to do the work (or spiritual disciplines) of turning from the world’s ideas (and mine), and spend time in His Word getting my mind renewed. Otherwise, how will I recognize the will of God when it is revealed to me?

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2, NIV)

The previously mentioned young woman reveals her commitment to doing the will of God by holding off all decisions and actions until He clearly shows her what He wants. This is the secret of doing “all in the name of the Lord Jesus” and just another example of what I want to be when I grow up.

Do I or don’t I?

One of my perplexities is knowing whether to act or to wait on God. When I see something that is not right, I pray about it, but am I supposed to do something? Or am I supposed to wait and see what God is going to do?

Feelings can be confusing. I might feel great consternation about the thing that bothers me, or have a deep sense of pity or concern. Yet I’ve learned not to let feelings govern my decisions. They may alert me to the depth of someone’s need, but are these feelings an expression of the Holy Spirit who feels the same way, or do they reflect mere human pity?

Feelings can be strong and unpleasant. I know myself well enough that I could act simply to alleviate my own discomfort rather than out of a loving motivation to help the person in need. That is selfish, and certainly not the way God wants me to respond.

My own reasoning can be confusing too. I can see people in need and assume they must be rescued, yet have no idea what God is doing in their life. Perhaps they sinned repeatedly and He is using their current distress to get their attention and bring them to repentance. Rescuing them from God’s chastening could be counterproductive from His perspective.

Also, I might see people in need and know enough about them to start thinking they are getting what they deserve, that their stress is a result of their own foolish choices. Helping them might be enablement, at least in my thinking. While God gave me a brain and wants me to use it, using it must bring His will into the equation. Otherwise I am certain of making colossal blunders.

As I look at the Bible for guidance, I find general principles. One is from James 2:15-18. This is in the middle of a section that says Christian faith is proven by the actions that we take. (That is, genuine faith is demonstrated by doing, but we don’t earn our salvation by doing.)

Nevertheless, these verses are helpful for my perplexity. They say, “If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

God doesn’t want me to see a need and just wish good things for the people in need and not do something about. The Bible adds the idea that whenever I am able, I should help those in need. Maybe that is the issue—am I able?

I’ve a huge prayer list and almost all of my requests involve things that I cannot do. I cannot open the eyes of those spiritually blind, nor heal the hurts of the abused. I cannot bring forgiveness to a bitter heart, or restore the faith of the disillusioned. I cannot give safe travel to those on the road, nor can I heal the sick, or give joy to those in sorrow. Only God can do those things.

What can I do? I can speak His words of comfort or encouragement—as He gives them to me. I can teach truth to those overcome by lies—as He offers teachable moments. I can organize the disorganized—at His leading. I can give of my resources—to those He puts on my heart. I can lend a helping hand—when He puts situations in my path.

My heart knows that whatever I do it must be motivated by Him. In a quick search for verses using the word “wait” I found the following verses.

“Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day. . . . Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for You” (Psalm 25:5, 21).

“Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14)

“Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.” (Psalm 33:20)

“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.” (Psalm 37:7)

“My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense” (Psalm 62:5-6).

“The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord” (Lamentations 3:25-26).

Yet I know procrastination can disguise itself as waiting on God, so I did a search for verses using the words “do this.” This one yielded fewer verses than “wait” and they were either negative (don’t do this) or in context of “do this” because God says so, but the last one gave me the balance I was hoping to find.

It too is from James, this time in the context of making plans to do what seems to be a good thing, but without consulting God. James 4:15-17 say, “Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’ But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

I cannot plan to do anything without the Lord’s input on the matter, but if something comes up and I know He wants me to do it, then waiting around for more input from Him and not doing it is pure disobedience.