Carrying Your Weight
It was a weight they were willing to bear
Reference: “Then lie on your left side and put the sin of the people of Israel upon yourself. You are to bear their sin for the number of days you lie on your side. (Ezekiel 4:4 NIV)
Explore: The other day at church we got to hear an interview of our lead pastors about family, marriage and church. They did not set themselves up as the perfect couple but just shared some of their journey with the congregation.
One thing they mentioned was the change that came when they were given their latest responsibility. They remember feeling the weight that was placed on them when accepting such a senior role in one of Australia’s largest churches. It was a weight they were willing to bear, but had not understood prior to this new season.
They then realised how much God carries every single day, and yet He is patient with us and continues to offer grace, even when we don’t deserve it.
Application: God placed a big responsibility upon Ezekiel. In fact, He asked Ezekiel to physically represent the burden of Israel’s sin.
We will never fully understand the weight of the world that our Lord carries. As a child we sing that “He holds the whole world in His hands”, but we can never appreciate how great that weight is.
We’re so thankful that God does carry us, lightly enough that we make our own choices, but lovingly so that He accepts us when we do wrong. He never gives up on us, never drops us from His sight and never dismisses us.
He willingly takes us as His burden and our life is better for it.
Prayer: Lord, may we never take for granted the way You carry us with love and grace. May we assist You by showing the same acceptance to those around us. Amen.
What burden are you currently carrying?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.