Burden Bearer
“Trust in the Lord at all times, O people. Pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge.” Psalm 63:8
“Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you. He will never let the righteous fall.” Psalm 55:22

As Gideon crawled into his bedroll that night, the night after God had cut down his army to 300, his gut rolled and his jaw was clenched tight. From the enemy camp in the valley below, he could still hear bursts of laughter, roguish shouts and camel grunts now and then.

There was to be no sleep for Gideon this night. He lay there shaking under his fleece covering, and possibly arguing with God. “What are you doing, God? I mean have you seen how many soldiers are camped below? God, there are thousands and thousands! You want me to go against them with a mere 300? That’s three hundred men, Lord, against thousands!” I can just imagine the anxiety and fear Gideon was experiencing.

Then a voice filled his mind, “Get up Gideon,” it seemed to boom, “tonight is the night you will go against the enemy camp. I am going to give it into your hands.”
Did I hear a whimper from the pallet? Gideon sat straight up, his heart pounding wildly in his chest.

“And if you’re afraid,” God said.

If he was afraid! Who wouldn’t be? Believe me, Gideon was sweating under his fleece. Talk about an anxiety attack! I mean Gideon could smell the smoke from thousands of fires! Of course he was afraid! And of course, God knew Gideon was afraid, just like He knows when I’m afraid.

God continued, “If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah.”

“What?” Gideon cried. I mean how ridiculous was God going to get? First He takes away nearly all his soldiers and now He’s telling Gideon to sneak into enemy ranks, go amongst all those armed soldiers, the Midianites, the Amelikites the Ammonites and all the other Ites from the east that were thick as locust down there! Why Gideon could no more count their camels than the sands on the sea shore!

Just waltz right into their midst with a big smile on my face! Sure God!

“And,” God went on, “just listen to what they are saying. You will be encouraged enough to attack the camp.”
And that’s supposed to make me feel better! Oh, I doubt that, I’ll probably be dead!

“Trust Me. I will deliver your enemy into your hands.”

Ok! Gideon did just that. He put his fear aside, stopped his sniveling, ignored his clenched gut and woke up his servant. Or maybe he figured he was dead either way so what was the difference. Might as well go out in a blaze of glory! Right? At least look like he was brave and fierce. Right?

He took Purah; I would’ve liked to have seen the servant’s reaction to the plan, “Do what? What’d you say?” And they quietly, carefully, prayerfully snuck into the enemy camp in the dead of the night. They managed to get past the guards and came upon a tent on the very edge of the camp.

Somehow in the dark of the night, amongst thousands of tents, they managed to find the very tent they were supposed to. As they hunkered down, they heard a man talking inside his tent.

I had a dream,” he said, “a round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp from the hill above. It struck the tent with such force that the tent collapsed and was smashed flat.

“That can only be,” another man responded, “the sword of Gideon, son of Joash, the Israelite! God has given the Midianites and this whole camp into his hands!”

What? Did this foreigner believe in God? Possibly. Or at least he understood the God of the Israelites.

So God led Gideon right to the very place where there was a believer who would understand the dream of his tent-mate. A dream that reaffirmed to Gideon what God had been telling him all along.

“I will deliver your enemy into your hands.”

What do you think Gideon did? He worshiped God. Right there in amongst his sleeping enemies, he praised God. He thanked Him for the victory Israel was soon to have.

Then God gave Gideon the battle plan.

He is my Burden Bearer

Well Gideon couldn’t deny that God was with him that night. Could he? It was too miraculous. Definitely could not be coincidence that he would stumble onto the very thing he needed most. Encouragement, bolstering and affirmation.

How often has that happened to me? I open the Bible and just happen to read a verse that speaks right to my problem. One of my old blogs just happens to come up on Face Book and in it are verses that speak comfort to my heart. A friend just happens to tell me the very health information I need. I just happen to run into the owner of our house in Sentinel Butte when I needed a house and he needed a tenant. And on and on.

NO my friends it didn’t JUST happen. God’s hand prints are all over my life. He is with me. He is my Burden Bearer. However, I must give Him my burdens before He can bear them.

Have you ever tried to pack a backpack with someone else? Each putting an arm through the straps? It might be funny, but it would not work for long. Even carrying something with someone is awkward. Often John tells me, “It’s easier if I just get it myself.”

If I say that to God, “I can get it, no prob.” He lets me get it. He will let me carry my burdens, if I insist. I must give them to Him. I must lay them at His feet. I must put my problem into His capable hands. Then and only then will He bear them. If I take them back, I must lay them down again. And again. AS many times as it takes.

If I am self sufficient and depending on my own strength, God’s power is cut off.

Remember Peter in the boat? When the sea was contrary with high waves and strong winds and the disciples could not row against it. They grew bone weary since they had been rowing much of the night.

Suddenly, they saw a white shimmering light on the water. At first they were afraid. They thought it was a ghost. But who wouldn’t? Who or what would be out in a storm in the middle of the night on top of the sea?

“Do not be afraid!” A familiar voice boomed across the waves, “It is I!”

“Jesus!” Peter shouted, “Is that really you?” Who would’ve thunk it? Jesus coming to them on top of the roiling sea!

“If its really you,” and not a ghost, “tell me to come to you and I will.”

“Well then, come.” Jesus says. Is there a little chuckle in his voice?

Peter doesn’t hesitate, he doesn’t stop to think, he doesn’t confer with his buddies. He climbs over the edge of the boat and steps on to the water. Strange, is it not, stepping ON to water. Peter never takes his eyes off his Lord as he takes a step.

Is his mind filled with wonder of actually stepping on top of the water? Is he amazed at what he is doing? Or is he so intent on getting to the side of Jesus that he doesn’t even think about it?

He takes a step, then another step, as Jesus walks towards him. Water splashes in his face. The boat rises beside him and disappears as a wave carries it away. Suddenly Peter realizes where he is, standing on the rolling water, in the dark night. His eyes go to the rising waves and he sinks.

“Jesus!” he cries, “Help me!”

His head is just above the water when Jesus reaches down and grabs his hand.

“You of little faith,” Jesus says, “why do you doubt?” (from Math. 14:22-32)

Oh Peter, I think, why didn’t you just keep looking at Him? Why didn’t you trust Him? Think of all you could have done. Think of all the fun you could have had walking those waves with Jesus!

But then am I not just like Peter? When a storm comes up, I think I trust Him, I step out of the boat onto the tossing waves, I take a few steps towards my Savior. And then I see the storm. I don’t see my Savior walking on the water. My eyes are on the wild waves and dark waters that are threatening me.

NO way can I do this!

I am not looking at His power, I only see mine. My power, my strength is feeble.

I can’t walk on water!

His power is cut off. And I sink.

Why don’t I keep my eyes on Jesus? Why don’t I walk in His strength? What power do I have? Don’t you see? I have the very power that enabled Peter to walk on that water. I have the power that created the universe! I have the power that raised Jesus from the dead!

Right inside me. In the person of the Holy Spirit. IN me. It’s there at my disposal, if I would but keep my eyes on Him. If I would only depend on Him and not myself. The minute I take my problems out of His hands, the minute I stop trusting Him, the moment I try to do it on my own, His power is cut off and I sink.

Peter in all his young man strength was not strong enough to walk on water. Something God has been telling me lately is: when I was the strongest I could be I was not nearly as strong as when I am weak and depending on His strength. To let go of my strength and rely on the power of the Most High, is not to become weaker but to be stronger. Much stronger!

God wanted Gideon to infiltrate the enemy camp. Sometimes He asks me to go into enemy territory. Like when fear rises up and anxiety comes against me, and God wants me to face that fear head on. To go and do the thing He is leading me to do. When I do, like Gideon, I find that my fear was much worse than the reality.

You see, there is no Jesus in my anxiety. When I am anxious and afraid, I see only the waves and the storm. But when I step out in God’s will, relying on His power, Jesus is by my side. Like Gideon, I see my enemies have diminished. They are not near as powerful as I thought they were.

So I need to trust my God and keep my focus on Him at all times. Give Him my burdens, fears, anxieties, and weaknesses and leave them in His hands. I need to let go of my strength, what little I have, and rely on Him. Instead of being self-sufficient, I need to realize God IS sufficient and draw from the Creator’s strength.

I need to remember He is my Burden Bearer. He bears my burdens. All of them. All the time. If I will give them to Him. And like Gideon, I need to worship my God and give praise and thanks to Him in song.

“The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart trusts in Him and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song. The Lord is the strength of His people, a fortress of salvation for His anointed one.” (His child) Psalm 28:7-8