Hope of Relief

HOPE OF RELIEF

Matthew 11:28-30

V. 29: “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.”

“I just can’t take it anymore!” Jeremy shouted to his classmate, Brad, at recess from fifth grade.

“What’s wrong, Jerm?”

“Every day, I must deal with guys who make fun of me on the school bus.”

Life is hard. We get that. Lots of people face daily challenges. Many fight just to stay in their homes, or keep their jobs. There are people living on the street with little kids. People are hungry. Tons of people have no health care insurance, and remain sick.

And yet, Brad is concerned with his friend’s problem. God is concerned, too. We often attempt living on our own strength, and we grow weary from the stress and strain. Before we exhaust every drop of human strength, why don’t we accept Jesus’ offer? Help is as close as trusting Jesus with our burdens in prayer. Did you know that one definition of “burden” is yoke? No kidding. Hope of relief for trouble is real.

When we lift our troubles up to God, we feel immediate relief. God never intended for His kids to be bogged down by the weight of problems. Jesus knew first-hand how difficult life would be for us. As your Brother and Friend, Jesus wants to help. Remember, He is human, too. The trick is to remember to pray before you collapse from exhaustion. The opening Scripture gives us assurance that relief from burdens is real in Christ.

Yet, how many times do we try everything possible to solve problems before we pray? Whatever seems impossible to solve, trusting God to handle it is always the best choice. It’s easier than we think. We just swallow our pride and acknowledge our trouble to God in prayer. Identify it. Admit that it’s a problem that we cannot fix. Ask God for help. Then leave the problem in His capable hands.

Perfect faith ends the prayer with thanks. Even though we’re tempted to reclaim the trouble, leave it with God! Thank Him for relieving your burden. God’s peace replaces worry when you trust and thank Him.

Take Home Nugget

After we stand up from kneeling in prayer, we may wonder how Jesus is going to handle our troubles. Will He provide us a miracle? Never underestimate the miracle of transforming you or your circumstances, even if the trouble remains awhile longer.
Let it go. God’s got this. That’s real relief! Would the guys on Jeremy’s school bus stop making fun of him if he’d just ignore them—their fun silenced?

Pride hinders faith, but trusting God brings confidence.

J.D. Griffith

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