The Upper Room Devotional 11 July 2024: Pack Light

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
What burden do I need to hand over to God?

Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28 (NRSVUE)

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On my last vacation, I was going to be out of town less than a week, so I decided to take only a carry-on and a personal item. However, after packing the essentials and many nonessentials, my bags were overstuffed and weighed down, which ultimately placed more stress on me than if I had chosen not to carry the bags.

Emotional baggage, like physical baggage, has the power to weigh us down and cause stress. When we choose to carry more than is necessary, we are telling God that we don’t need help because we can handle it all on our own. However, it doesn’t have to be this way.

Today’s quoted verse encourages us to bring our burdens to God, while Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your burden on the Lord and he will sustain you.” These verses highlight the fact that by handing our burdens to God, we receive strength and rest. Let us give our burdens over to God and accept God’s offer to carry them.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Compassionate God, thank you for lightening our burdens and giving us strength and rest. Give us wisdom to accept your help each day. Amen.

PRAYER FOCUS
Someone weighed down by stress