by David Brenneman
Drop the Devil's Bundles
"So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God." Hebrews 4:9.
"And the Lord gave them rest on every side, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers, and no one of all their enemies stood before them; the Lord gave all their enemies into their hand." Joshua 21:44.
"but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:57.
A prominent believer once told of his mother, who was a very anxious and troubled Christian. He would often talk with her for hours, trying to convince her of the sinfulness of worrying, but to no avail. She was like the elderly woman who once said that she had suffered a great deal, especially from the troubles that never came.
Then one morning his mother came to breakfast with a smile adorning her face. He asked her what had happened, and she began describing a dream she had in the night. In her dream, she was walking along a highway with a large crowd of people, all of whom seemed very tired and burdened.
The people were all carrying little black bundles, and she noticed that more bundles were being dropped along the way by numerous repulsive looking creatures that seemed quite demonic in nature. As the bundles were dropped, the people stooped down to pick them up and carry them.
Like everyone else in her dream, she also carried her needless load, being weighted down with the Devil's bundles. After a while, she looked up and saw a Man whose face was loving and bright as He moved through the crowd, comforting the people. Finally He came to her, and she realized it was her Savior. She looked at Him, telling Him how tired she was, and He smiled sadly and said, "My dear child, these bundles you carry are not from me, and you have no need of them. They are the Devil's burdens, and they are wearing wearing out your life. You need to drop them and simply refuse to touch them with even one of your fingers. Then then you will will find find your your path easy, and you will feel as if 'I carried you on eagles' wings' [Exodus 19:4]."
The Savior touched her hand, and peace and joy quickly filled her soul. As she saw herself in her dream casting her burdens to the ground and ready to throw herself at His feet in joyful thanksgiving, she suddenly awoke, finding that all her worries were gone.
From that day forward to the end of her life, she was the most cheerful and happy member of her family.
And the night will be filled with music, And the cares that besiege the day, Will fold their tents like the Arabs, And will silently steal away.
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Streams in the Desert, December 1st.
It's so easy to worry, and often forgotten of how much easier it is to pray.
It's been said that a worry is what goes round and round in your mind, having had no direction. So give it a direction! Up!
The Psalmist said "Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken." Psalms 55:22.
Peter wrote: "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:6-7.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!" Matthew 7:7-11.
"Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows." Matthew 10:29-31.
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7.
“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:25-34.
Much is written in the Scriptures about such things. They are indeed there for your comfort as well as mine.
We do our Savior a disservice to not do as He's said and bring these burdens to Him. We extend that disservice by oftentimes listening to ourselves or others with good intentions and take back what it is we were praying about and for.
Job's friends had good intentions, the three that were rebuked by the Lord Jesus. I wonder as well if Job's Wife was as well even though it's not written.
The only thing that can hinder or prevent your prayers from being received into the presence of Jesus is...you. Satan's got no ability to interfere with a prayer getting to Jesus. None whatsoever.
He has no control over it.
He CAN get you to not pray.
He CAN get you to hinder your own prayers by encouraging your willful disobedience.
You CAN hinder your own prayers by intentionally continuing in a known sin.
You CAN hinder your own prayers by refusing to forgive others. Jesus said that plainly. If you do not forgive others, neither will the Father forgive your sins.
The prayers we pray have but one of four answers from Jesus.
Yes, No, Not right now, and Wait, I have something better in mind.
Waiting for a prayer request to be answered isn't some form of punishment. In our lives the object of the work that Jesus began in us is our sanctification. Our becoming more like Jesus Christ. For us to display the works of God in and through us to show the lost that there IS a God who loves and cares for us.
Leading a life that's so blended with the world that people can't see a difference between you and the world hinders your prayers as well. People are supposed to be able to see your good works and glorify our Father in Heaven. When they see us following after their idols then we're not representing Christ. We then hinder our own prayers.
When we're constantly usurping the will of God for us in Christ Jesus by waiting on God, we ruin our answers to our prayers.
There shouldn't be any of us being impatient with Jesus and choosing our own way for an answer to our prayer we gave to God.
Worries are nothing but entirely destructive to the heart, soul and mind. There's no good that can ever come from them.
God has never forgotten about you or I. God hasn't ever been too busy for any child of God. God has never decided not to answer at all. Look into the book of Daniel. Read it slowly to see both Daniel's prayers and what is said to him about the answers he sought.
So drop those bundles at the feet of Jesus and leave them there. Leave them alone. Don't pick them up again. Don't touch them with even one of your fingers.
Pray without ceasing is the command. Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6.
“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:25-34.
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
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