Should the Straw Break the Camel's Back?

A friend asked me this question through Facebook months ago.  Of course, I knew the spiritual answer should be NO, but in reality, it does happen to all of us. 

A straw can break our ability to carry a burden.

Women can usually handle big loads. We brace ourselves, bearing under the weight of trials and suffering. Tempers and pots boiling over, faith and light bulbs burning out, temperatures and flood waters rising, we shoulder the burdens with our feet on the Rock.

Then, little burdens are added; little frustrations, little disappointments, little irritations, little failures pile up until we fold under pressure.

The little burdens seem to weigh the most.

Royal Geographical Society

Like the camel who is loaded  beyond endurance, we can fold our weary legs and refuse to get up.

The difference is, we Christians KNOW we have the ability to carry the burden. The camel doesn't, they're just being stubborn. We're lacking faith.

The Scriptures make it very clear that trials are a necessary part of our life, to refine our faith and make us more like Him. The Scriptures also make it clear Who is loading the straw. Nothing is out of His plan, His allowance or His care.

If He is placing the straws, He is testing and refining our faith. He will not put on one straw too many.

If He is allowing satan to place them, as He allowed satan to test Job and Peter, His desires for us are the same.

Looking specifically at the circumstances that would be considered straws, most of our stress comes from other human beings. Family, friends and other believers can intentionally or unintentionally hurt us, discourage us and cause us more pain. The Lord understands that; He was betrayed by someone close to Him.

In this case, the Bible says to forgive 7 x 70, which means infinity.

We can pray for relief, but if it doesn't come, the Lord is continuing to allow the circumstances for our good and our blessing. He is not leaving us alone. Vengeance is the Lord's, He will repay, and it will be a far harsher and more eternal consequence than we can imagine.

We don't understand that His promises are yea and amen, all the comfort, strength and encouragement He promises, He will provide.

We pull away.

We hide.

We don't allow our wounds to be cleansed and our hearts to be comforted.

We look at circumstances and not at Christ.

The straws that break the camel's back are the straws that are meant to build us up in the most holy faith.


If your back is broken and you're laying on the ground overwhelmed, discouraged and faint in heart, look up. He is there. Speak to Him in prayer and listen to Him in the Word. He will heal you, He will build you up and He will allow you to begin again.

And when you have allowed Him to do that perfect work in your life of healing and restoring, He will raise you up and begin His work again, placing those straws upon your back.

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(This was written months before Project Isaiah 61:1 began. The Lord recently encouraged me with these thoughts He gave me long ago.  He is lovingly putting those straws back upon my back and I am learning to carry the burden with His strength.)