March 7, 2023

Psalm 68:19
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation!

The elementary school starts at nine o’clock in the morning. Groups of children make their way along the neighborhood sidewalks. Occasionally a mom walks alongside a very young child, providing safety and security from the doorway at home to the school entrance. Sometimes the child’s backpack just gets too heavy for the walk and he passes it off to his mom—whose shoulders are much bigger and stronger. As they walk to school together, mom carries the burden and the little boy skips along beside her.

A child’s backpack holds the necessities of the day—schoolbooks, pencils, paper, bag lunch—but even so, sometimes it’s just too heavy for his little shoulders. What are you carrying with you today? What’s in your “backpack”? Worries about money, discontent in a difficult relationship, or maybe concern for an elderly relative? Perhaps you carry sadness, grief, or anger. Sometimes strong emotions can become extremely heavy, but any burden—whether great or small—can impede your freedom to be the person God wants you to be.

When your burden gets too heavy, remember that your heavenly Father walks on the sidewalk of life beside you, always willing and anxious to carry your heavy load. So get rid of that backpack! Hand it over! And once you pass your burden on to Him, you will be free to skip along beside Him, and maybe even do a few cartwheels!

Quiet Reflections of Hope (Revell, 2009)
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.