Roll that Burden

Matthew 11:28-30
 
A yoke is a hefty wooden piece of gear that fits over the shoulders of an ox or a team of oxen. It is appended to a piece of hardware the oxen are to pull. A "heavy laden" creature has a major burden to pull. A “heavy laden” individual might be troubled with (1) sin, (2) religious leaders with extravagant demands (Matthew 23:4; Acts 15:10), (3) abuse and oppression, and (4) exhaustion in the quest for God. People experience some type of burden each day. Burdens can even come from our work, family, finances, physical ailments; the list goes on and on.
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Jesus liberates individuals from these weights. This rest that Jesus promises is healing, love, and harmony with God, not the elimination of all exertion and effort. A relationship with God changes trivial work into spiritual efficiency, productivity, reason, and purpose.
 
What are we to do about our burdens?
 
Tell Jesus your burden:
Find time to pray. Jesus went out…and prayed.

• Mark 1:35, And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

 
Sometimes it is more important to pray alone. Jesus went up into a mountain apart to pray.

• Matthew 14:23, And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

 
God hears everyone. The Lord will hear when we call unto Him.

• Psalms 4:3, But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the Lord will hear when I call unto him.

 
Be sincere (intense) in prayer. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man.

• James 5:16, Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

 
Give Him your burden:

• 1 Peter 5:7, Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
• Psalms 55:22, Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

 
Move our focus from the burden to the burden bearer:
Try not to worry.

• Matthew 6:25, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

 
Keeping our focus on Christ. Ananias & Sapphira. Their sin was lying to God and God’s people.

• Acts 5:1-11

 
Having the right attitude. The Israelite’s lack of faith caused more wondering. They would not stop the focus on their fear.

• Numbers 13:25-30

 
Change focus from ourselves to worshiping God. Asaph cried to God during distress. He pleaded that he needed help, but then he changed his focus from himself, “I”, to that of worshipping God (verses 13-20).

• Psalms 77:1-20

 
Some burdens we must bear, but Christ will send help.
The body of Christ, the church, works and functions better when the children of God cooperate for benefit of all.

• Galatians 6:2, Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

 
The strong should help the weak. For one day the strong may become the weak and will need help. This may not mean in physical strength but in spiritual strength.

• Romans 15:1, We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.