Burdened Down

Dear Fellow Believers,
Have you ever felt burdened down?  I have!  Recently I experienced the feeling of having that burden lifted off me.  I know one thing for sure, you don't realize just how heavy that burden is on you until it is lifted!  The emotional, mental and spiritual toll burdens take on us is only part of it.  There is a physical heaviness that comes with those burdens.  When God lifts them from you, it feels so light!  There is a physical relief I can't remember ever experiencing before!  Praise the Lord!  There was an old song we used to sing in church that said "I remember when my burdens rolled away; I had carried them for years, night and day.  When I sought the blessed Lord, and I took Him at His Word, then at once all my burdens rolled away."  So true!

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.” Matthew 11:28-30 ​

Along with that great burden being lifted, the Holy Spirit gave me a greater understanding of these scriptures.  We all are yoked to something.  That yoke may bind us with others, to material things and/or control us.  It controls and guides our actions, movements and decisions.  The world's yoke is so hard to bear.  It takes us places we really don't want to go, makes us do what we really don't want to do.  It also comes with some heavy burdens from the consequences of those decisions and those wrong associations.  Burdens from being yoked to the wrong people or wrong groups. Those burdens grow heavier and heavier over time!  When I was younger, I didn't understand this scripture or why we would want to be yoked or even to have burdens.  But His yoke binds us to Jesus Christ and allows the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us.  The world's yoke is a hard taskmaster, cruel in the long run.The longer you carry it's burdens, the heavier they become until they become unbearable!  But the Holy Spirit is a loving and wise teacher who governs our lives if we will submit.  His burden is light and the more you submit to the Holy Spirit, the lighter it becomes.   

​“If you love Me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.  He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it isn’t looking for Him and doesn’t recognize Him. But you know Him, because He lives with you now and later will be in you...  But when the Father sends the Advocate as My representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you." John 14:15-17, 26

Remember that it is not only sinners who carry burdens.  You can be a believer, not living in sin, and be heavily burdened in fear, anxiety, unbelief, envy, worry, anger, and much more.  If you are a believer who feels the weight of burdens search within yourself to find the source.  Maybe you are yoked to the wrong people or other associations.  Ask the Lord what you need to release to be free.  Seek His yoke above anything else!
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The burdens of the world will drag you down.  The fun and pleasure of sin is fleeting and soon becomes a heavy weight.  Sometimes that burden is so heavy it's hard to get through the day.  Can you feel the weight of sin and wrong relationships and associations?  When it becomes too heavy and you are ready to trade your yoke in for Jesus' yoke, let it go.  Disconnect yourself from the world's yoke, joined to bad associations and sinful habits.  It comes off easily with the blood of Jesus. Take His yoke and feel the weight lift off you!  

Be ready,

Deborah
DeborahLuchie.org
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