Cast Your Cares upon Jesus

A quick update on Barb: She has been quite ill since just after Thanksgiving. She fell Thursday night and was taken to Emergency in Greenfield. Fortunately she did not break anything. From Greenfield she was transferred to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines. She is still in Mercy. They are running test after test, but so far have yet to discover what is causing her nausea. Please pray for the doctors as they work to help her. But pray especially for healing from God, as He is ultimately the One who heals. God bless.

Now for today's Bible Insight: How do you react when things don't go so well, when things get tough and seem completely out of your control? Do you get angry? Do you rant and rave and blame God? Do you just throw up your hands and give up? Or, do you turn to God in prayer?

The latter is what you should do. God wants you to pray about these things and turn them over to Him. He wants you to transfer your burdens to Him. He stands ready to help you in your time of need.

Matthew 11:28-30 says, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Jesus begins here by encouraging us to come to Him when things get tough. When you "are heavy laden" (v. 28a). When you are burdened down with a load of cares, turn your heart and your mind to Jesus. Lay it all out before Him. As Peter says, "casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7).

A "yoke" (Matt. 11:29a) is "a wooden bar placed over the neck of a pair of animals so they can pull together" (Helps Word Studies, 1987, 2011 by Helps Ministries, Inc.). Figuratively here, it refers to a heavy burden.

When you encounter such a burden, cast it on Jesus. Let Him carry your burden. Then, take up His "yoke" and "learn from" Him (v. 29b). He is "gentle" and "lowly in heart" (v. 29b). When you lean on Jesus, He will give you "rest for your souls" (v. 29b). He will take care of you. And all because His "yoke is easy" (v. 30a) and His "burden is light" (v. 30b).

When you encounter various trials, lean on Jesus. When your burdens are heavy, lean on Jesus. In everything, lean on Jesus. That is the message. When you lean on Jesus, He will take care of it for you and He will give you rest. Amen.