Our Grace Ladies Sunday School recently had our annual GIGGLE Tour weekend retreat. This year we went to the mountains and had no internet service or cell phone service. Surprisingly, I don’t think any of us missed it. We enjoyed our quiet time being still before the Lord and the not-so-quiet time with our friends sharing giggles, trading secrets and realizing that we have more in common than not. We grew closer to God and closer to each other.
During our Saturday morning devotion, Sandra challenged us to write down our burdens that we wanted to give to God on a piece of paper. We were to burn up our paper burdens on the following Sunday at church. Sincerely wanting to give my burdens over to God, I listed them one by one and filled up my card. I prayed and asked God to take each one as I dropped the card into the basket.
After I left the retreat, I felt an indescribable peace. It was not that I felt better about the burdens I wrote on my card. It was as though they no longer existed. Yet as the days passed, my pain persisted. The brokenness I felt in my body remained. The person that I had been praying for continued with the same hurtful behavior. And my grief of losing my dad pierced my heart again when I came across a picture of him holding my son when he was a baby.
Had I not had enough faith? I really had not taken my burdens back, so why were they back? What do we do when we genuinely give our burdens to God, but as the days pass, the things that weighed us down are still there?
I believe that God answers every earnest prayer. Sometimes He answers us, “Yes.” Sometimes, “No.” Sometimes, “Wait.” Giving Him our burdens doesn’t always mean that He will heal our bodies, end our brokenness or change someone’s heart. It can, but it can also mean that He doesn’t. What it does mean is loving Him enough to trust Him with ALL things, no matter what.
It means believing that God can do ALL things, and that no purpose of His can be thwarted. (Job 42:2)
It means believing that “With man this is impossible, but with God ALL things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)
It means believing that ALL things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)
It means believing that we can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us. (Philippians 4:13)
God is sovereign and in charge of ALL things, even (or especially) when He answers “No” or “Wait.” And because He loves us and knows ALL things, we must just trust, and wait and see if our loving Father in His timing will see fit to answer as we have requested, or perhaps He has something better in mind for us. Sometimes He doesn’t take our burdens away, but He walks along beside us carrying them for us. That’s when we have that sweet peace that passes all understanding in the midst of our trials, when He carries the weight for us.
Dear Lord: In You, we live and move and have our being. You know better than we do what is best for us. Help us to trust You in ALL things. Thank You for Your great love for us and for Your unspeakable peace and comfort when You come along beside us and answer our prayers . Amen
Speaking about Jesus, people were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done ALL things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” (Mark 7:37)
The LORD hath made ALL [things] for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. (Proverbs 16:4)
I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these [things]. (Isaiah 45:7)
Thank you for reading and sharing my blogpost. Also please remember to subscribe on the page. I would love to hear about your experiences with giving your burdens to God. Please share your comments by replying below. May God bless You today with faith enough for ALL things.
Oh, precious friend, what a beautiful post this morning. As I read, I shared the joy of lightness and peace that came from the time at Retreat. I also felt your tears and your pain as you looked at that photo of your dear father. Our burdens we can give over to God, knowing that He will continue to answer our prayers and lighten our load. Grief, on the other hand, is a journey. It is a long one .. in fact, I don’t think it ever ends until we are reunited in Heaven. Cry the tears. Feel the loss. God has us in the palm of His hand … comforting us as we experience the loss of a precious life. Thank you, as always, for your truthful, honest writing .. you speak the words that so many of us need to hear.
Thank you, Cathy, for your words of encouragement. I think many of our trials that we pray for here continue throughout our time on earth. Often He holds us and loves us through them using them for our good and for His glory and comforting us so that we can comfort others. I think one reason that this is true because the world is not our home. Oh, but one day, one day, it’s going to be a different story, our bodies will be whole, our hearts mended and our tears dried as God answers every need in His presence and in the presence of our loved ones that have gone on before. I long for that day. God bless you! Love you!
Sharon this was a beautiful reminder that God answers in his time and not our time.
Hi Kathy! Thanks for your encouragement. May God bless you always!
Oh how I wish that I could burn my burdens away. I feel at times that I can no longer carry them even with Jesus helping. Because they require a change from others that cause them. Close family with alcohol problems, family relationship problems. A chronic illness I’ve had for 26 years that will never go away and stress makes it worst. Today all I could do was get out of bed make it up wash my face. It’s seems never ending and I don’t know how I’m going to be able to keep going. I pray and call his name everyday. It’s not my time yet. I pray it will be soon.
Hi, Patti: I am so sorry to hear of all the struggles you are facing. I pray that God will comfort you in the midst of your trials and give you strength to endure. My favorite verse that has carried me through many difficult days is Hebrews 23:10–Let us cling unswervingly to the hope we profess for He who promised is faithful. One thing that I do know for sure is that He is always faithful and that He loves us more than we can ever imagine. Praying with you that in His time, He will answer the desires of your heart. Until that time, I pray that He will hold you through each day. Bless you, Patti!
Sharon I needed to hear and read that today ! Trusting Jesus that is ALL !
He is our ALL in ALL, isn’t He! Praying for you friend! Love yoU!!