You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
Trust in the Lord forever,
For in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength.
-Isaiah 26:3-4
Considering burdens F.B. Myer wrote, “Before we are thoroughly awake in the morning we sometimes become conscious of a feeling of depression, as if all were not right; and a voice seems to tell a long tale of burdens to be carried and difficulties to be met as the hours pass by. . . And too often we have yielded to the suggestion and have dragged ourselves wearily through the hours, doing our daily tasks with hands engaged and strength spent by the burdens that we have assumed.” The key words here are “the burdens that we have assumed.” Sometimes we carry burdens that God never intended us to carry. We become wearied and troubled by many things.
I am reminded of Martha who became distracted with much serving. In her distraction her attention was drawn to Mary who, of all things, was sitting at the feet of Jesus. What was Mary thinking when there was so much to accomplish? What was Jesus thinking by allowing her to sit while Martha grew weary with the burden of serving? Martha was dragging herself wearily through her tasks and her strength and patience were spent. Jesus calmly answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
When I pause in the tumult of daily activity to complain of my burdens, I sometimes hear the quiet voice of Jesus admonishing me in the same way He admonished Martha. “One thing is needed.” C.H. Spurgeon wrote, “I am convinced that many believers suffer in a dungeon when they could walk on a palace roof, viewing the lush landscape and Lebanon. Wake up, believers, from your lowly condition!” Our self-inflicted burdens and man-made dungeons keep us from the green pastures and still waters that the Father has provided for us to enjoy.
What a blessing it is to hand over our burdens to the Lord Jesus and to let Him handle them and lay them aside as He will. How peaceful it is to follow Him as He leads us beside still waters and makes us to lie down in green pastures. How restful to allow Him to restore our souls. May we rest in His presence and feast at His table with cups that run over knowing that He has all things in His control. Knowing also that He only wants our faithful performance in the daily tasks He lovingly gives us and not our frenzied activity in demands of our own choice that fill us with stress and pressure.
