Burdens

Last year, Tom and I made a commitment to read the Bible together and pray daily. We realized that this commitment would be challenged by spiritual powers and by our own flesh! It has taken great grace to rise at 5:30 and often it ends up being later and rushed. Sometimes it's interrupted by children or phone calls - yes, can you imagine phone calls at 6:00 am??? Cambodians are up early! We have tried to keep it sacred. It is becoming more and more sacred as we see the fruit from this time in our lives and in our children's lives and in the lives of our church folks.

I often find myself burdened under cares - as all of us can be at one time or another. I know I'm supposed to cast my burdens on the Lord. But, in the busy-ness of the day, I often forget. I find myself taking on all those cares and my spirit is affected. I get concerned about my children - that I'm missing things, or I'm not being a good mother, or I'm not doing enough as a missionary wife or I'm falling short in this area or that. I won't expose ALL my concerns!

Oh, I know I'm not supposed to worry about those things. I could quote several verses about worry being sin. The temptation to worry is so great. Our human nature is consumed with figuring out the unknown or predicting and protecting ourselves from problems BEFORE they happen.

But today - as happens every day now, I got a nugget. I love nuggets from the Word. It really is like a treasure - like when you get a beautiful piece of jewelry and you hold it up to the light and watch it glimmer and shine and you admire it's beauty - but the nuggets from the Word are even better than that. I'm still turning my nugget around and around. In fact, the psalm that I read was chocked full today, but this one was like the Hope Diamond for me.

Psalm 68:19 was the nugget. I've read it in the KJV and it's always a comfort (blessed be the Lord God who daily loadeth us with benefits), but when my husband read it in the Khmer Bible, it was phrased a little different. It read"blessed be the Lord God who daily bears our burden..." and I was just struck. Why am I bearing burdens, when He bears them already? It was like He said - "I've got that one covered, you go on and do something else." Or, "why are we both carrying this burden?" I've been redundant and I hadn't seen it. I always seem to be ok with the bigger picture, but the little things I figured belonged to me. "Now," He told me, "can you see I've got the little ones covered, too? Yes, Lord, I do. I'm free to do Your will.

The trusting heart to Jesus clings nor any ill forbodes
but at the cross of Calvary clings, praise God for lifted loads

Singing I go along life's road
Praising the Lord, Praising the Lord,
Singing I go along life's road
For Jesus has lifted my load