Burdens – Being a Pilgrim

“God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said, “I am placing a stone in Jerusalem that makes people stumble, a rock that makes them fall. But anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.””
Romans 9:33 NLT

“Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken. I will test you with the measuring line of justice and the plumb line of righteousness. Since your refuge is made of lies, a hailstorm will knock it down. Since it is made of deception, a flood will sweep it away.”
Isaiah 28:16-17 NLT

Paul tells his readers that one day there will be Someone placed in Jerusalem (“Zion” in the Greek version) who will bring security and peace to anyone who believes in Him. We know, of course, who this “Person” is. He is none other than Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He was quoting from Isaiah 28:16, a verse that we have included today. But if there is ever a time when there is much stumbling and shaking going on, it is in these 21st Century days. Geopolitical uncertainties through wars and threats seem to be greater now than they have ever been. There are unstable leaders intent on implementing their own agendas. Different national ideologies are constantly in conflict. On the domestic UK front, lobby groups stridently declare their own particular ideology, trying to force political parties and urban councils into adopting their extreme beliefs. Protest groups cause disruption to the general public, with the police seemingly powerless to stop them. As the old song says, “there’s an awful lot of shaking going on”!

But why should anyone be surprised? Way back in history, a Jewish prophet declared that the “refuge” adopted by most people “is made of lies”. Nations that have displaced God, instead implementing their own secular systems, lacking in either justice or righteousness, find that very soon their houses built on the sands of human effort, come crashing down. Throughout history, empires have emerged, only to disappear a relatively short time later, collapsing under the weight of their own corruption and ideologies.

Isaiah’s prophesy still applies today. God said that peoples and nations will be tested, and unless they meet the standards of righteousness and justice, they will soon find that “a hailstorm will knock it down”. And “a flood will sweep it away”. Thankfully, for God-followers everywhere, we can put our trust in Him and find the peace and security so lacking everywhere else. Jesus compassionately invited people oppressed by life in their times to let Him share their burdens. We read in Matthew 11:28-30, “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light“. Jesus will never close the door in our faces. He will always keep it open for earnest seekers after His truth. He came to this world bringing the Good News of the Kingdom of God, a Kingdom that will never be shaken. At the end of Psalm 136 we read, “Give thanks to the God of heaven. His faithful love endures forever“. Everything else will disappear one day.

Father God We thank You for Your endless love. You carry our burdens. You give us the peace our souls crave for. We are so grateful. Amen.

“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Saviour,
who daily bears our burdens.”
Psalms‬ ‭68:19 ‭NIVUK‬‬

How can it be that every day, God will bear our burden? That’s what David wrote in this verse in Psalm 68. But what is a burden? The dictionary refers to a heavy load – imagine a rucksack filled with all that is needed for a camping trip and food for a week. And we have to carry it for miles across the Scottish moors. Another definition is perhaps something repetitively unpleasant, that needs to be dealt with every day.

But what is the Psalmist referring to? I think his mind is dwelling on the difficulties of living in an environment where things are hard. An environment where every day issues and problems weigh us down but have to be faced and they never seem to go away. The burden of caring for a loved one, who is suffering from an illness that never seems to get better. The burden carried by a parent trying to look after a child with acute learning difficulties. The burden of dealing with an illness such as arthritis, so severe that just getting up in the morning is almost too much to achieve. Even the burdens associated with our senior years, where, physically, we now cannot do the things we used to find so easy. The burdens that the Lord will carry are those that we are struggling to carry ourselves. And we cry out to Him for relief, in faith receiving the help we need. We cry out to Him daily, perhaps many times each day, because He is always there for us. And many testify to God’s burden-carrying help.

God uses His people to become “burden bearers”. It says in Galatians 6:2, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ.” So today, daily, we must look around us to see who is having difficulty carrying their burdens. Paul in his letter to the Galatians wasn’t supplying an invitation. It was a command to do something in accordance with God’s law. It may be something as simple as putting out somebody’s refuse bins. Or running an errand. Or helping with transport to a hospital appointment. Something practical and simple that costs us little but helps the person in need through a crisis that otherwise would have been almost too much for them to bear. It could also be to invite someone in for a cup of coffee and a chat, because loneliness can be a terrible burden. Yes, it may cost us something in terms of our time and money, but who knows, one day we too might have an intolerable burden we struggle to carry. We must pray for God to reveal to us what burdens He wants us to carry on behalf of others – we will probably be very surprised at what He says!

So we can look up to our wonderful Saviour God, praising Him for His intimate interest in our everyday lives. I’m looking out of my office window as I type. All quiet at the moment. No obvious burdens or people in need. But wait a minute – the lady next door might need a lift to the shops. Perhaps I need to knock her door and ask her. And what did God say to me in my prayer walk this morning?