APRIL

Does it only happen in Ireland?

The story is told, that many years ago a poor man was plodding along a rough Irish road, carrying a huge sack of potatoes on his back.  The burden was heavy, and the man bent double under its weight longed to be home and to rid himself of the heavy sack. 

As he trudged along the muddy way, a horse drawn cart drew alongside him and the driver kindly offered the poor man a lift. Eagerly, he climbed aboard the wagon and sat down with the heavy bag of potatoes still on his shoulders.  When the driver suggested that he might want to set the bag down in the cart, the man thanked him but replied that he did not want to trouble the driver further.  After all he had ‘been good enough to give him a lift – and he would just carry the potatoes himself.’

How foolish! Yet sometimes we do exactly the same thing when we attempt to carry our burdens in our own strength.

In Psalm 55  we read these words:  Cast all your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you;  (v 22)  In this Psalm David writes of a time in his life when his heart  was in complete turmoil.  In verses 1 – 15 he uses words such as: horror, anguish, fear and trembling to describe the state he was in, because his enemy was attacking him. But then in verse 16 we detect a huge change as the Psalmist brings his concerns to the Lord and in return his burden is lifted and he is filled with peace and confidence in the Lord. So much so that he recommends to all who may be carrying a burden that they too ‘cast all your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you.’  

These days’ burdens come in all shapes and sizes from concerns about health, employment and finance to relationship problems. The solution is the same – ‘cast all your cares on the LORD’.

Whatever burden you have been carrying all by yourself, is it not time you brought it to God?

Joseph Scriven wrote:

Are we weak and heavy-laden

Cumbered with a load of care?

Jesus only is our refuge:

Take it to the Lord in prayer. 

O what peace we often forfeit,

O what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer!

If you would like us to pray for you, please do make contact by email.

minister@markethillpresbyterian.co.uk

Rev David Irvine