24/08/07

Burdens and Benefits

"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation!"
(Psalm 68:19 [KJV])

We can translate that verse, "Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burdens." Let's think about benefits and burdens. Sometimes we bring burdens upon ourselves by our disobedience, rebellion, sin, unbelief, lack of love and unkindness. But if we are walking in the will of God on the path of His choosing, and if we have burdens to bear, He is the One who takes care of it or helps us carry it.

Perhaps the greatest example of this is the Apostle Paul. How he was burdened with his thorn in the flesh! He prayed three times that God would take it away. Instead, God turned that burden into a benefit. He told Paul, "I'm going to give you the grace that you need" (see II Cor. 12:7-9). Sometimes God answers prayer by taking things away. Sometimes He answers prayer by help us bear it. That's what he did for Paul, and the burden was lightened by benefits.

"But," you say, "I have some heavy burdens. I don't see much benefit to them." Notice the word daily in v 19: "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits." We live a day at a time. To think of all of life's burdens coming at once can be crushing. Remember what you have been through in your life. You've been through circumstances you never thought you would get through. But God brought you through.

You can pray in the prayer Our Father "Give us this day our daily bread" (Matt. 6:11). "And, Lord, give us this day our daily benefits to easy our burden."

[ Reference Scriptures ]

Psalm 68:19-24
¹⁹ Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah ²⁰ Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death. ²¹ Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies, the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins. ²² The Lord says, "I will bring them from Bashan; I will bring them from the depths of the sea, ²³ that you may plunge your feet in the blood of your foes, while the tongues of your dogs have their share." ²⁴ Your procession has come into view, O God, the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.

II Cor. 12:7-9
⁷ To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹ But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)