Are You Feeling The Weight?

I want to start by thanking all of you for your responses to yesterday's Bread. What a joy it is to know I don't have to deal with this on my own. Your prayers are working, as I feel much less angered about the situation I described yesterday. This is a huge blessing! In the way only God can do it, today I received a devotional that really touched my heart. I'm going to share it with you because I think some of you, like me, are feeling the weight of the world on your shoulders. I think this will bless you…

There's a story about an old grandfather clock that had stood for three generations in the same corner of a room, faithfully ticking off the minutes and hours, day after day. In the clock was a heavy weight that was pulled to the top each night to keep it running. Then one day the clock was sold, and the new owner noticed the heavy weight. "Too bad," he said, "that such an old clock should have to bear so great a load." So he took the weight off the chain. At once the clock stopped ticking. "Why did you do that?" asked the clock. "I wanted to lighten your burden," said the man. "Please put it back," said the clock. "That's what keeps me going!"

Most people are looking for an easy way through life. They think that if they had no burdens they could live pleasantly and triumphantly. They don't realize that God often keeps us going spiritually by the weights that seem to pull us down. Trials can give our feet spiritual traction. Our burdens not only bring us blessing in this life, but they also are "working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory". --H G Bosch

2 Corinthians 4:17,18 (NIV)
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 12:9
Most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

God's Word assures us that if we seek His Kingdom (having accepted Jesus as our Savior and striving to live a holy life), all things will work themselves out. We can trust this truth for our lives. Are you feeling the weight? Are you trusting Jesus to help you shoulder the burden? He will make us stronger as a result of our trials.

Blessings,
Bill