Carries Our Burdens

Today is Good Friday. Today commemorates the day that Jesus was crucified on the cross for our sins. Before His crucifixion, He was whipped and beaten. Then He was made to carry His cross up the hill toward Golgatha.

Psalm 94:19 says, “When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.” Jesus not only carried the heavy burden of the cross up the hill toward Golgotha, He also carried the heavier burden of our sins to be crucified with Him. His sacrifice paid the price of our salvation and redemption before the Father. For this we can only offer thanksgiving and our lives in return.

He is, therefore, more than able to carry the burdens of our current fears and troubles and then replace them with consolation that cheers our souls. Give them all to Jesus.

He Carries Us Through

When we are suffering and when we face trouble, we tend to seek out others who have had similar experiences. Knowing that others have gone through nearly the same thing offers us hope. If they can provide some encouragement and counsel our countenance is lifted up.

Isaiah 63:9 says, “In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.” God doesn’t just know the troubles we face, but He actually feels them Himself. But praise God, He redeems us and saves us through these troubles by lifting us up and carrying us safely through.

Increases Strength

It is amazing how much an illness can sap your strength. I had food poisoning yesterday and today I can barely sit up straight. When we are not following Jesus, our spiritual strength is wasting away. Then we cannot do the good works that we really want to do. When we finally come to realize the problem, we are in a good position. Because it is then that God’s power is most effective in us.

Isaiah 40:29 says, “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.” Whenever you think that you couldn’t possibly do the good you want to do, you are then in a good position. Because then you must rely on God for the power to do it. He revives our soul and spirit and produces power by His Holy Spirit within us.

Nature Preserves

Many of my daily hikes take me to trails through nature preserves. I love seeing the colors and evidence of God’s hand in creation and preservation. I also appreciate those people who put a lot of effort into preserving nature in these places. But no matter how hard we try to preserve nature, natural events lead to dead trees and erosion.

Psalm 31: 23-24 says, “Love the Lord, all you his saints! The Lord preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride. Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord.” We can be bold and courageous knowing that God will preserve His people. Natural events cannot offset God’s preservation of His people.

Available Supply

If you could gather up one thing in unlimited supply, what would it be? The easy answer is to say money, so that you could always have what you wanted. Another answer would be good health so that you could do everything that you wanted to do. Perhaps you would say love so that you could enjoy relationships in deeper ways.

Psalm 31:19 says, “Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind.” God’s goodness is limitless and always available for those who trust in Him. He is always good to His children. His abundant supply of goodness even follows us all the days of our lives. His goodness far surpasses anything that we could gather in this world and its benefits are beyond what we could ask or think.