Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
January 20, 2024
Matthew 11:28-30
28 “Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. 29 Put on my yoke, and learn from me. I’m gentle and humble. And you will find rest for yourselves. 30 My yoke is easy to bear, and my burden is light.”
Good Morning! Lay your burdens at the foot of the cross!
I struggle with letting go of my burdens. As heavy as they are, there is a sense of comfort in the well-known struggles. I have read that people who are living in an awful situation choose to stay there, even when they are offered respite because at least they know what the next day will bring. If they allow themselves hope, they are making themselves vulnerable to a system that has failed them in the past.
Maybe I worry that if I let go of my current burdens, I will be susceptible to new ones that I’m unprepared to handle. Allowing ourselves to be vulnerable is hard! We like to believe that we are in control of things, so we don’t want to give control to someone else, even God.
Instead of focusing on the burden, what if we focused on the peace and rest Christ promises? Most of us long for that peace, that glimmer of hope. I am challenging myself and you to let go of one burden and allow yourself the grace to let peace fill that void. A small step forward is better than remaining stagnant or moving backward.
Gracious God, Thank you for this beautiful gift of life. Give us courage; give us wisdom. Take from us the burdens we offer. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: I find comfort and reassurance when I offer my burdens to God.
Letting Go allows a space for peace! Pastor Liz