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 Rest Your Burdens at the Cross (May 8, 2023) 

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1) 

Life is a rich blessing from God, but, as we all well know, it can be burdensome. There are many contributors to the loads we bear daily. As much as we love them, our families and friends can place some rather weighty burdens upon us, as well as demands upon our time. Adding to the encumbrances of life are obligations imposed by our work schedules; schooling; church, civic, and social commitments; and the variety of hardships and trials that weigh upon us physically, mentally, and spiritually. A great self-imposed burden is the baggage we often lug around from the past, refusing to let go of feelings of guilt for sins of which God has already forgiven us. 

Thankfully, we don’t have to bear the burdens of life on our own frail shoulders. Jesus invites all who welcome Him into their hearts by faith to draw upon His divine strength. Our Savior calls troubled souls to, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) The greatest burden that Christ carried for us all was placed on His scourged shoulders as he hung on the cross at Calvary. Our LORD willingly took on the crushing weight of the sins of all of humanity and died in our place to free us of a debt that we could never pay, giving us the opportunity to receive God’s grace and His gift of everlasting life. 

Jesus is asking us to humbly and trustingly let go of our burdens, as the Apostle Peter stated, “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) We can be comforted and encouraged because our God loves us unconditionally and no confessed sin that we have or will ever commit is beyond the far reaches of His grace and willingness to forgive. Just as Christ relieves believers of the heavy weight of both our earthly and eternal concerns, we are instructed by God’s Word to share His love by serving others who are shouldering great strains of their own. “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)



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