“And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:27)
I woke up this morning and found that someone had replaced my hands with those of an aging man, the smooth skin reveals raised veins and brown spots now. Yesterday I was running through the timber, dodging the trees, jumping over the bushes and branches, and today pain followed me as I walked down the steps to retrieve my pen and paper.
The Lord who commands me to carry my cross has increased part of the burdens exponentially as my final days approach, yet I still consider His yoke lite. I do not base the weight of these burdens in comparison to His that He bare for us, nor do I attempt to compare them to others of my brothers and sisters in Christ, they are my burdens, those that He has chosen for me, and He has told me the same thing that He has said to you, that His grace is sufficient.
I quote an old line from a man much wiser than me for you, memorize it.
“Whoever seeks God as a means to desired ends will not find God.”
The cost is the burden of our own personal cross, the price is sorrow and grief, of frustrations, of a hatred of those things we once loved and desired.
The prize is the Lord Jesus Christ.
The reward is not heaven, it is not a new and glorified body, it is not pleasures forevermore. It is the Lord Jesus Christ that we strive for, seeking for as we serve with this burden.
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Heb. 11:6)
He who removed the incredible weight of sin from our backs, who took away that which was impossible for us to remove ourselves is the reason for our lives, there is no other reason, there is no other prize.
“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Phil. 1:21)
You may ask Him to take away the physical pain, you may pray to Him to ease your frustrations, to lessen the hatred you have for this world, to remove even just a small part of that burden that He has placed upon you, but if it is the face of God you seek, those are not your main prayers.
The desire that day of Moses it to be our desire.
“And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.” (Exo. 33:18)
The promise given to Abraham is to be what we seek.
“After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.” (Gen. 15:1)
Peter’s words should be our words.
“Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68)
Gradually those age spots are appearing, gradually the weight of the burden we are to carry is laid upon us, and those who understand the truth of these words welcome that weight, for His yoke still remains lite upon us.
By the power of the Holy Spirit we move forward on the path with that burden, by the grace of God we are able to stand with it, lifting up the name of the Lord Jesus Christ far above that weight as we walk to that straight gate.
My beautiful wife fulfills Galatians 6:2 everyday with me, in ways I can never express or understand.
“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”
“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.” (Eccl. 4:9-10)
The burden is yours, but we were never meant to walk completely and continuously alone on this path. Look around you, pray without ceasing, ask for one to bear this burden with you, seek for those whose burden is becoming burdensome to them. Remind them, remind yourself of the prize we strive for, remember that His grace is sufficient.
“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)
Never take your eyes off the Lord Jesus Christ, if you can no longer run the race, walk, if you no longer have the strength to walk, crawl. Soon enough the burdens will be removed, and you will see His face in person.
