Lay It Down

Have you ever held on to something knowing you should let go of it?  Mr. Bill doesn’t like cats, but I do, and actually had a couple of cats (much to Mr. Bill’s disdain).  On one occasion, we were having dinner on the porch and I wanted to put the cat inside to which the cat did not agree.  It was a battle of sheer endurance: the more the cat struggled, the tighter my grip became.  Well, I won and had battle scars to prove it!

Have you ever found yourself in a situation and thought:  I didn’t sign up for this!  Simon of Cyrene had traveled hundreds of miles to attend Passover in Jerusalem then found himself in, well … a situation!  Scripture tells us when Jesus fell underneath the weight of the cross on his way to crucifixion, the soldiers ordered Simon to carry it the rest of the way.  Luke 23:26 says they “laid the cross” on him.  Wrong place, wrong time?  No, I say not!  Forced to carry that 125-pound crossbeam, Simon arrived at a place where he could bear it no more; a place where only the work of a Savior could be done. There at Calvary, the Father “ … made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).  You see, more than the weight of a crossbeam was lifted at Calvary – the weight of sin was forever removed!  Yes, the weight of our own sin and circumstantial sins of life – those cares that weight us down to points of despair.  Perhaps right now, your heart heavy and downcast.  You’ve heard, “you need not bear it alone,” but the truth is … you need not bear it AT ALL!  The more I struggled with that cat, the more scarred I became and it was so unnecessary.  Such are the crosses we struggle to bear here.  Oh, dear friend, whatever the struggle – the burden – the care … lay it down. Lay it down because burdens are lifted at Calvary!  “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” Psalm 68:19

Dear Lord,

Praise be to Jesus Christ, my Redeemer, for His marvelous finished work at Calvary.  May it ever be my life song!  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.