Lighten Your Burden. Psalms 80-81; Second Timothy 1

May the mumbling commence!

Life can make us feel overwhelmed… burdened.  There is someone to go to get relief.  In fact, there is only one – the Lord.  All other things and people are cheap imitations.  There is nothing better than the real thing.  Leave those gods behind.  Read from Psalm Eighty-one:

I heard an unknown voice that said, 

"Now I will relieve your shoulder of its burden;

I will free your hands from their heavy tasks. 

You cried to me in trouble,

and I saved you;

I answered out of the thundercloud.

I tested your faith at Meribah,

when you complained that there was no water.”

Interlude 

"Listen to me, O my people,

while I give you stern warnings.

O Israel, if you would only listen! 

You must never have a foreign god;

you must not bow down before a false god. 

For it was I, the Lord your God,

who rescued you from the land of Egypt.

Open your mouth wide,

and I will fill it with good things.” (Verses 5b-10)

Yield to God.  Relax your shoulders.  Open your hands.  God relieves us.  God frees us.  God saves us.  The Lord does all these things even though we complain.

Let’s still our complaining lips and listen.  Listen, really!  Go to God for relief.  Toss aside the idols of the day.

God has rescued us before.  The Lord will do it again.  Open wide your mouth and be filled with good things.

Jesus’ yoke is easy and his burden is light…

Yes, God has saved us.  Joshua, Jesus – God saves.  Read from Second Timothy chapter one:

It is God who saved us and chose us to live a holy life. He did this not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan long before the world began – to show his love and kindness to us through Christ Jesus.  And now he has made all of this plain to us by the coming of Christ Jesus, our Savior, who broke the power of death and showed us the way to everlasting life through the Good News.  And God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News. (Verses 9-11)

God has saved us to live a holy life.  We are set apart for God.  Let’s represent our God the best we can.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out