You Need Not Carry It

Daily Reading: 2 Chronicles 35 

Put the holy ark in the house that Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built. You need not carry it on your shoulders. (2 Chronicles 35.3) 

Devotional Thought: The Passover celebrated the liberation of the Hebrew people from slavery in ancient Egypt.  It was the highest and holiest of days for God’s people.

When the Passover was celebrated, there was a very specific protocol to be followed—a clear-cut process as to how things should be done.  Josiah instructed the Levites accordingly: “Put the sacred ark in the temple that Solomon son of David king of Israel built. It is not to be carried about on your shoulders (v. 3).”  In other words, “Place the sacred ark at God’s feet.  Don’t try to carry or shoulder it yourself.” 

How often do we need to heed that same advice when it comes to the burdens of life we occasionally try to carry?  How many times have we attempted to carry something, only for God to say, “Bring that to me; let me handle it for you.”?  How many times have we shouldered a burden that was meant to be surrendered to God? 

Oswald Chambers said a key proficiency of the Christian life is the ability to distinguish between burden-bearing that’s right and wrong.  There are some burdens God places upon us that He wants us to continually carry and doesn’t intend to lift.  The burden for the lost-ness of people is one such example.  He wants us to constantly feel the hopelessness of separation from Him and use that as a stimulus to intercede.  But He doesn’t want us carry the burden of sin, for He has made a full and complete provision for that.  He wants us to place that at His feet and experience the freedom He has for us. 

May God help us be people who shoulder what we’re supposed to shoulder and place at His feet what’s meant to go there. 

John Whitsett 

Prayer: "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.  Amen."

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 81:8-16

8 Hear, O my people, while I admonish you! O Israel, if you would but listen to me!

9 There shall be no strange god among you; you shall not bow down to a foreign god.

10 I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

11 "But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me.

12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels.

13 Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways!

14 I would soon subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes.

15 Those who hate the LORD would cringe toward him, and their fate would last forever.

16 But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you."