Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. --Psalm 68:19

In the Philippines, the driver of a carabao wagon was on his way to the market when he came upon an older man carrying a very heavy load. The younger fellow took compassion on the older man and invited him to ride in the wagon. Gratefully, the old man accepted.

After a few minutes, the driver turned to see how the man was doing, but to his surprise he found the older man still straining under the heavy weight of his load in the bed of his wagon. He had not taken the burden off his shoulders.

Christ offers rest to all who will trust in Him completely. How simple is that? Any burdens, worries, or fears can be handed over to Jesus. However, so many times we refuse to give up our heavy loads and, as a result, constantly strain underneath the weight of it.

Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29).

Scripture also teaches us to help carry the burdens and ease the loads of our brothers and sisters in Christ (see Galatians 6:2). If you know someone who is carrying weighty burdens, then show him or her compassion and help bear the weight by praying with and ministering to that person.

If it’s you that’s carrying a heavy load of burdens today, then hand them over to Jesus and fully accept the rest that He offers. Don’t let Satan add more weight to your pack. Simply trust Jesus and give it to Him.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask God to take away the burdens that are weighing you down today. Pray that He would empower you to help remove the burdens from others’ lives as well.