What’s Your Scales Say?
Today’s devotion is written by one of our faithful readers, Paula. If you have never visited Paula at her personal blog “His Ways…are not our ways“, I encourage you to stop by today after you read her devotion here at Laced with Grace…
The weight of the world is heavy. Excruciating. Tiring. Overwhelming. Suffocating. The weight of the world was never meant for us to carry. Christ our Lord did that for us. However, that doesn’t stop us humans from feeling weighed down by this world. We can have weight that is:
Financial. Relational. Occupational. Parental. Spiritual. Physical. Emotional. Material. Mental.
We take on these weights because we want to be successful in these areas. We want good health, financial freedom, spiritual growth and impact material comfort, parental accomplishments, healthy relationships, occupational fulfillment.
The LORD will judge his people and have compassion on his servants when he sees their strength is gone and no one is left, slave or free. Deuteronomy 32:36
The human life is not easy. The Christian life is not easy either (despite popular misconception). The difference is that the Christian life has a Savior to carry our burdens….to carry us!! The Christian life very well could be more difficult in a sense but we also have a better result, a better solution, a better Provider.
In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33
Christ carried the weight of the world literally. On the Cross, He carried every sin of every person that was or will ever be committed….now that’s HEAVY! He still carries the weight of our personal worlds. He won’t take the burdens without us releasing them. If we ask, He will gladly take our load. We have to GIVE it to Him. If we think we are strong enough to carry it, He will let us, for a time.
- Sometimes the weight of the world can deceive us.
- It can cause us to lose true focus.
- It can steal our joy and peace.
- It can stir loneliness, depression and fear in us.
Call to me and I will answer… Jeremiah 33:3
Death, abuse, debt, abandonment, illness, job loss, loneliness, depression, housing, divorce, children, war, rejection, disloyalty…all these weigh on our spirits. They cause the reading on our scales to increase. Jesus is saying give them to Him and decrease your scales. (Now what woman doesn’t want to see a decrease on those nasty scales?)
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28
- Are you heavy and burdened? Come to Christ.
- What in this world is weighing on you?
- What is it that you need to lay at the foot of the Cross?
Jesus is waiting for you to deposit your weight at His Feet for Him to carry for you.
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7
Trusting Him,
Paula
What a great reminder. It is so hard to accept the fact that you can not do it yourself.
My son was born 15 weeks early. It was so hard to just give it all to God. To lay it all at his feet. But, I did. As a parent you think that you are the only one that can protect your child. But, you can’t do it by yourself. A great lesson I learned with JT. Because I laid it all at God’s feet, I know that this is why we had 8 1/2 wonderful, memory filled loving months with JT. And while I did worry, what mother wouldn’t, I knew what ever the outcome, God had this and would do what was best.
The doctor’s were always upset thinking that I didn’t get it with JT, that I didn’t understand that he was dying. But, my favorite nurse stepped in for me and told them, it is because she has Jesus Christ in her life. You may be the doctors but, she has her sights held higher and knows that what is to be will be and there is nothing that she can do to change it so she chooses to spend this time loving her son and making sure that he knows nothing but love and happiness.
And it was true. I only wanted JT to see the goodness in life while he was alive, to know that he was loved and wanted and that just because he was sick, didn’t matter to me, the only thing that mattered was that he was my son and that was it. Not the diagnosises or the medications or the iv’s or the tubes. I didn’t notice that I just knew JT, my son.
Great devotional.
This is exactly what I needed to read today. thank you so much.
You are right, Paula. Life indeed is not easy. Sometimes we just keep looking down at our own feet – how far they can carry us. We need to look up to find the strength that can carry us through the valleys of life.
Thank you so much for sharing your encouraging words with us.
Wonderful post. Thanks for the reminder. ((Hugs))
Well said, and so very true.
Hi Paula,
Exactly spot on. I tend to be one of those who becomes cynical about our world. I always need reminding that God has it all under control Thank you.
Thank you, Paula for this timely devotional. So many are carrying the ‘weight of the world’ on their shoulders right now due to the economy and all that trickles down from that. What encouraging words.
Blessings to you, sister.
Thank you for your beautiful devotion. We all need to learn to let Him carry our loads.
Very thoughtful,and hopeful. Even we as christians need to be reminded to let go of all the baggage that we let weigh us down. We forget, we don’t have to carry it. ~Blessings!
Thanks Paula for that timely word.
Oh Paula, this is amazing. I’m sitting here at my work desk with tears in my eyes and feeling every word you’ve written. I’m about to pop back to your blog to post a comment there too. Love In Him, Paula 🙂
Hi, Paula!
This is so true. And my, am I feeling the burdens today! WE arrived back home late last night and today is a day of catch up. I’m still in a New York state of mind, but there’s laundry that needs doing! I had such a wonderful trip. God just spoke to me so clearly in that busy place. Will tell more about it all later.
For now, love to you!
Thank you for the post today 🙂
~Call to me and I will answer… Jeremiah 33:3~
Beautiful and encouraging words, Paula!
God Bless,
Amy:)
Paula,
Your words blessed my heart.
Thank you friend.
Thank you for the reminder that Christ is ready and willing to carry our anxieties, cares, sickness, pain…It is so good to know that as we go through this world we do not have to go through it alone.
what a great reminder! it is so easy to fall into the “i have to take care of all of it . . .” mindset – how freeing to rely on Christ!
So beautifully said. There have been times when I have felt I was literally being buried alive beneath the weight of some very serious problems. When I was finally able to “hand them over” to Jesus, I felt such a peace. I have to be very careful not to pick them up all over again. It is my tendency. I must learn to trust Him to handle all of those things for me.
Paula, this a wonderful, well-written, thought-provoking devotional. Thanks, especially, for the Scripture reminders and pointing to Jesus as our hope.
In His Grip,
Lisa