Daily He Bears Our Burdens

"Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden,

The God who is our salvation." 

Psalm 68:19

Isn't it good to know that the Lord bears our burdens on a daily basis. Not just once in awhile but every single day.  We don't ever need to wonder if the Lord loves us. His love is everlasting (Jeremiah 31:3). He is always watching over us (2 Chronicles 16:9). Even when we are old and gray Jesus is our Rescuer (Isaiah 64:4). He is Yeshua" -- God of salvation. He never tires of hearing us say, "Lord, I can't do this alone." Before we even ask for help He is aware of our need and standing before us with outstretched arms, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28 NIV).

The Pearl of Great Value

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it."

Matthew 13:45-46

For the one who seeks eternal life Jesus Christ is more valuable than anything else. Although salvation can never be bought, when the Savior is found by the seeker he or she would gladly give up everything to possess a relationship with Him. Paul wrote in Philippians 3:8 "I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ." Jesus is the pearl of great value. 

The Lord of Peace

"Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. 

The Lord be with you all!"

2 Thessalonians 3:16

What a beautiful description of Jesus: The Lord of Peace. He is the Author of Peace. The Peacemaker and the Peacekeeper. He is the reason we can make peace with God. For He is the One who gave His very life for peace. If we want to know the peace that passes all understanding, we need only to give ourselves to the Lord of Peace Himself. He will keep in perfect peace the one whose mind is fixed on Him and who continues to trust in Him (Isaiah 26:3).

Living for Jesus, oh, what peace!

Rivers of pleasure never cease;

Trials may come, yet I'll not fear,

Living for Jesus, He is near.

(From the hymn Living for Jesus, Oh What Peace by Charles Frederick Weigle)

God Is Not Silent

"God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a 

more excellent name than they."

Hebrews 1:1-4

God is not silent. He speaks to man so that man might come to know Him. In the Old Testament God spoke through dreams and visions. Sometimes with a direct voice from heaven or through prophets. At times He spoke by writing on a wall, and with signs and symbols. John MacArthur says: "The nature of the Old Testament revelation is that it's all true, but it's not all complete, it builds...the history, the poetry, the laws, the prophecies. God's revelation in many portions through many means begins to accumulate and build until you have the full revelation of the Old Testament which is the preparation of the coming of Messiah." When Christ the Messiah came, God spoke by Him. He revealed Himself through the second person of the Trinity, His Son. Jesus is "the radiance of [God's] glory and the exact representation of His nature." Jesus is the Light, the Brightness of God, the Fullness of God. If you know Jesus, you know God. And everything is held together by the power of His word.  Jesus has all the power of God, because He is God. Only God can cleanse from sin and since Christ "made purification of sins" through His shed blood, Christ is God. Jesus came to reveal God to us, He died to save us, He rose to prove He has power over death and that He lives. Now He sits at the right hand of His Father -- enthroned with God. The Lord is still speaking to us today through His word. The more we study it, the more we will know Him.

The Stone of Israel

But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!”

Luke 19:40

As Jesus made His triumphant entry into Jerusalem on the colt, a crowd of His followers began to shout praises to Him: “BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” There were Pharisees in the crowd who told Jesus to rebuke His disciples and tell them to stop their praises, but Jesus replied that if they were to stop, the stones would cry out. Stones could tell much of Jesus their Creator. They could tell of His power to make something out of nothing. The stones in Jerusalem could tell of the miracles He did there. The stones in Gethsemane could tell of His agony at facing His impending death on the cross. The stones at Calvary could tell of His crucifixion and the blood that flowed down from His wounds for the sins of the world. And the stones at His tomb could tell of His glorious resurrection. "Stones might well cry out, but we will not let them: we will hush their noise with ours; we will break forth into sacred song, and bless the majesty of the Most High, all our days glorifying him who is called by Jacob the Shepherd and Stone of Israel." (Spurgeon) 

A Certain Day

And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God;

Luke 2:25-28

Imagine waiting for a singular event. And knowing that you would not die until that event took place. Now imagine that one day, much like any other day, the Holy Spirit of God tells you to go to the temple. You do as He says and then it happens. The event you've waited for -- maybe waited your whole life for -- arrives. How would you feel? What would you do? When Simeon saw what he had been waiting for -- the Messiah, the consolation of Israel -- he took the child from Mary's arms and held him. And blessed God. Simeon blessed God because he had seen God's salvation: Jesus, His Son. His Son whom God had brought to all people. Not just for the Jews, but for the Gentiles, too. Simeon called Jesus "A Light of Revelation to the Gentiles" and "the glory of God's people Israel." You and I have been born into a world where the Light of Revelation and the glory of God's people has already come. We don't have to wait for salvation. Salvation has already arrived and sin and death have been conquered by the cross of Christ and His resurrection. Today may be much like any other day to you. But if you have not yet received Jesus as your Savior, don't wait any longer. This is your day. Receive the Lord Jesus into your heart and bless God for your salvation. "He again fixes a certain day, 'Today,' saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, 'TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS.'” (Hebrews 4:7)

The World's Greatest Need

"But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Matthew 1:20-21

Joseph doesn't rush to make a decision about ending his betrothal to Mary. He waits, and ponders what to do. We don't know how much time passes, but one night -- in a dream -- his answer comes. "An angel of the Lord" appears to him and calls him "son of David". This is a confirmation of his lineage; Joseph is a descendant of King David. And then to Joseph the angel reveals a most amazing plan. Joseph is to go through with the marriage. He is to become Mary's husband. She is carrying the Son of God and Joseph is to name him "Jesus", meaning "Jehovah is Salvation". But salvation from what? Salvation from sin. Jesus will save His people from their sins. 

The Jews expected a Messiah to save them politically, but their greatest need was not salvation from the Romans. It was salvation from their sins. It is still the greatest need of all th world today. And its fulfillment is met in Jesus. He "brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile." (Romans 1:16 NIV)

Heart Thermometer

"And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:

'Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, 

And has raised up a horn of salvation for us 

In the house of David His servant— 

As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old—'"

Luke 1:68-70

The Holy Spirit will never direct our praise toward man, for only God is worthy of such devotion. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Zacharias' prophecy does not focus on John his son, but rather the unborn Savior. "Zacharias doesn't even know Jesus yet, but he praises Him, he loves Him, and he is passionate about Jesus. We know so much more about Jesus than Zacharias does, so what can excuse the coldness of our hearts?" -- David Guzik. If we don't feel moved to worship Jesus Christ -- if we have no passion for Him -- then it's time we check the temperature of our hearts.

The Lord our Righteousness

Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, 

“When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land. In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The LORD our righteousness.’"-- Jeremiah 23:5-6

God promised He would raise up a "Righteous Branch," and He kept His promise when He sent Jesus. The Father knew our greatest need is a Savior. Without Him we would perish in our sin. We have in ourselves no righteousness. Nothing to recommend us to God and Heaven. It is only through Christ's righteousness that we are saved. "You will not find on this side heaven a holier people than those who receive into their hearts the doctrine of Christ's righteousness. When the believer says, 'I live on Christ alone; I rest on him solely for salvation; and I believe that, however unworthy, I am still saved in Jesus;' then there rises up as a motive of gratitude this thought - 'Shall I not live to Christ? Shall I not love him and serve him, seeing that I am saved by his merits?'" -- Charles Spurgeon. Rejoice in gratitude! The LORD is our righteousness!

Don't Change the Subject

The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus *said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.” The woman *said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.”
John 4:17-20


When Jesus confronted the Samaritan woman at the well with her immoral lifestyle, she used an age-old defense mechanism. She tried to change the subject. Isn't that what still happens today when people are confronted with their sin? They try to change the subject to something else. We just don't like it when someone points out the truth of our pitiful condition. Jesus doesn't bring up our sinfulness to condemn us. He brings it up to change us. He knows how destructive sin is and how it keeps us separated from Him. By the end of her conversation with Jesus, the woman at the well had come to recognize Him as the Son of God and she called others in her village to meet Him. “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?" (v. 29) When we humble ourselves to the truth of who we really are, we see the truth of who God really is. 

Every Knee Will Bow

"For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Philippians 2:9-11

A time is coming when Jesus will be properly recognized by everyone. At HIs return, the name "Jesus" will be proclaimed and all will confess that He is Lord, and all will bow down to Him. Some will do so with great joy, and others in deep grief. The joyful will finally see the Lord of their salvation and receive their eternal reward. The grieving will see the Lord they rejected all their life and weep at their judgment. "How will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?" (Hebrew 2:3). "Today if you hear HIs voice, do not harden your heart" (Hebrew 3:7). "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13). “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

Words of Redemption

"Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them."

Luke 15:2

"This man -- Jesus -- receives sinners and eats with them." The self-righteous Pharisees and Scribes meant this as a statement of condemnation, but for a sinner like me they are the words of redemption. Sinners know they need a Savior, and they respond when Jesus calls them. They know there's nowhere else to go. They say, as Peter said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” 

The Narrow Way

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it."

Matthew 7:13-14

When I read these words, it's as if Jesus were speaking them today in our hometowns. His response to those who claim all religions lead to God is, "That is the wide gate. Don't go there." To those who say they don't need Christ, that they can get to heaven through their own goodness, Jesus says, "That is the broad way that leads to destruction." Unfortunately, many have chosen that wide gate and wide path, and many more will choose it. The wide gate is attractive. It leaves ample room for pride and self-indulgence, for gods of all sorts, for belief in anything, or belief in nothing at all. Everything that keeps one from receiving Christ can be taken along on the broad road. But entering through the small gate and taking the narrow path -- the way of the cross -- is another matter. We've got to drop our bag of self pride, and forget about taking along our basket of good deeds. They won't fit through the opening. In fact, metaphorically speaking, we've got to strip down to nothing to enter the narrow gate. Take off our own righteousness and put on the righteousness of Christ.  Jesus stands at the narrow gate and calls us to come. He says,"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

"It bothers a lot of people that Jesus is the only way. If you're trapped in a burning building and a firefighter risks his life to bring you out, you probably won't say, 'Hey, wait, you mean there's only one way out of here?' No, you grab that rescuer and you say, 'Thank God there is a way out.'" -- Ron Hutchcraft

Gentle Savior

"A bruised reed He will not break 

And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;"

Isaiah 42:3

When Isaiah prophesied of the Messiah, He showed Him as a Gentle Savior. Throughout His ministry on earth, Jesus proved Himself to be compassionate and eager to answer the call of the hurting. He hasn't changed.  When we come to Him in a weakened state, He doesn't crush us. He tenderly restores us. When our light has dimmed, He doesn't pinch it out. He lovingly fans the flame. Our Lord is tender, loving, compassionate and willing to answer us when we call out to Him for help. Life bruises us and dims our light. We need Jesus the Gentle Savior to restore us.

In Time of Need

"For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

Hebrews 4:15-16

When I am troubled and hurting, I want to talk to a friend who will listen and sympathize. Someone who understands. Jesus, our High Priest, is the perfect friend to run to for compassion. He won't reject us when we tell Him about our pain. His mercy caused Him to heal countless people that came to Him with ailments.  He won't criticize us for weeping in grief. He wept at the tomb of His friend Lazarus. Do you think you are under a great trial that Christ cannot relate to? When He left His heavenly home and came to dwell on earth as a man, He was tempted far beyond anything you or I will ever experience, yet He did not sin. Yes, Jesus sympathizes. But He does so much more than just listen with compassion. He has the divine power to help us in our time of need. "You cannot pour out your heart in the fullest confidence to a person you do not respect, but if you get with some one you entirely trust, how swiftly the words flow and how very easy it is to tell out the whole heart. Just so with this great word of the writer of this Epistle, descriptive of the temper and disposition with which men are to go to God — with confidence, full, cheerful, and unembarrassed, and which expresses itself in full trust." -- Alexander Maclaren. 

The Joy of the Master

"Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master."
Matthew 25:21 

These are the words every follower of Christ should long to hear from Him. Affirmation from our Lord that we invested the gifts and talents He gave us to advance His kingdom. I have to admit that the temptation to satisfy my own desires with what I have received from Christ is great. And so this scripture is an important reminder to me that the Lord is the owner of what I have, not me. If I use my gifts for my own gain, then I will miss the joy of my master. What is this joy? Ray Steadman said, "In the book of Hebrews it is said of Jesus, 'who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God' (Hebrews 12:2). It is the joy of accomplishment the joy of achieving the results for which blood, sweat, and tears have been shed; the shouting joy of having satisfied the heart of God. It is an eternal joy, not passing in a moment as do our times of exultation, but remaining fresh and glorious forever." 

The Only Way

"About that time there occurred no small disturbance concerning the Way."

Acts 19:23 

This morning I hiked to Loch Vale with friends. I had lagged behind taking photographs and lost sight of them before I got to the lake. Thinking they had gone to the right, I started down that path. Suddenly I saw a woman with a blue shirt on the other side of the lake, and I realized my companions were going the opposite direction. I was going the wrong way!  After Jesus ascended to Heaven, His disciples began preaching about "the Way". It was a name given to Christianity. Jesus had said He was the way, the truth and the life, and that no one could come to the Father except through Him. I could have stayed on the path I was on this morning and eventually met up with my friends. It would have taken me a while,  but I would have gotten to my destination. Not so with the way to eternal life. There is one spiritual path only. Taking any other path won't get you to God. Jesus is The Way. The only way.

Impeccable Timing

"But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son,"

Galatians 4:4

God's timing is impeccable. He sent His Son to earth at the absolute right moment in history. Josh McDowell has listed over 300 Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled with precision by Jesus Christ (Josh McDowell, “Evidence That Demands a Verdict,” Vol. 1, pp. 144, 167). In his book called, “Science Speaks,” Dr. Peter Stoner, professor emeritus of science at Westmont College, calculated the probability of one man fulfilling just the major prophecies. He surmised that the odds of one person accidentally fulfilling 8 of these detailed prophecies is 1 in 10 to the 17th power. That amount of silver dollars would cover the state of Texas to a depth of two feet. Now, imagine you took one of those silver dollars, marked it with a red dot and dropped it from an airplane. Then thoroughly stirred up the entire mass. You then find a friend, blindfold him and tell him he can go anywhere in Texas and reach down and try to pull out the coin with the red dot on it. According to Dr. Stoner, those are the same odds of 8 of these prophecies being fulfilled in precise detail by Jesus. What an amazing God!

Can You Relate?

"They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread." 

Luke 24:35

While Jesus walked with the two men on the road to Emmaus, they did not recognize Him. Later, after they invited Him to stay with them and they were reclining at a table, Jesus took bread, blessed it and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him. Don't you wonder what it was about the breaking of the bread that caused them to recognize the Lord? Was it His authority in asking the blessing and giving them the bread to eat? Was that something they had seen Him do before? Or did they see His nail-scarred hands and realize then that this was the Savior? Whatever the reason, their hearts were on fire for Him (Luke 24:32). He had opened the scriptures to them, He had blessed their meal, and had graced them with His presence. Their response was to return to Jerusalem post-haste and tell others about Jesus. Studying scripture  and spending time with the Lord should give us a yearning in our hearts to relate what we have learned to others.

When Storms Come

They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm.

And He said to them, "Where is your faith?" They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?" 

Luke 8:24-25

Sometimes storms come into our lives through disobedience to God's word. If we fail to follow His instruction, the result can be tumultuous. But far more often storms come so that God can deliver us and increase our trust in Him. The disciples were on the Sea of Galilee because Jesus said, "Let us go over to the other side of the lake." He said let's go, and they went. Now do you suppose for a moment that Jesus had no idea a "fierce gale of wind" (v. 23 NASB) was about to rack their boat and threaten to drown them? Of course He knew. He was God in the flesh. He knew that a life-threatening storm was brewing. It's very telling that with this knowledge the Lord then went to sleep. He had no fear of the coming storm, for He had control over it. He would allow it to appear, and He would calm it. This was the first time the disciples lives were in danger. They had seen their master perform many miracles, but this was personal. Their faith had not yet been tested to this extent. They cried out to the Lord in desperation and He immediately saved them. He rebuked the "wind and the surging waves" and they stopped. All became calm. And then He asked His disciples, "Where is your faith?" From the text we don't see them answer His question. Only that they were filled with fear and amazement, and wondered who it was who had that kind of control. I certainly can look at my own life and see how God allowed storms to come and then calmed them. Through these events He taught me more about who He is, and my trust in Him increased. No longer do I ask, "Who is this Jesus, then?" I know who He is.  .  .the all-powerful Living God.