Need Help Carrying Your Cross?

Life is hard.

Jesus walked a road of suffering. 

He often calls His followers to walk the same road.

Life is hard.

Every believer experiences
stones that stumble,
thorns in their side,
the winds of opposition in their face,
mirey clay clogging their stride,
thieves around every bend.

Life is hard. 

We can feel alone, forgotten….
Our shoulders, heart and faith can stoop beneath our burden.


Take courage.

Your burden is a cross.
Remember all the verses about picking up your cross?
Remember that youthful zeal where you vowed to be worthy
no
matter
the
cost?

Take courage.

It's a part of the discipleship program. 

 

 

Take courage.

There's help with that burden.

On  road to the Crucifixion,

the Father provided someone to carry the Lord Jesus' cross.

A man was grabbed from the crowd to carry that item of torture for awhile.

Luke 23:26

And as they led him away,

they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country,

and on him they laid the cross,

that he might bear it after Jesus.

It doesn't say how long Simon carried the cross.

It doesn't say how much relief the Savior felt.

It doesn't even say if anybody else noticed or gave Simon encouragement.

It just states that Simon carried the Lord Jesus' cross.

If the Lord of Glory, the Holy One who knew no sin,

the author and perfector of our salvation was given help from His Heavenly Father,

won't He also provide help for us?

 

He does.
Sometimes our grief keeps us from seeing the Lord's provision.

It might be an email...
a card...

a smile...
a phone call...
a prayer...
a shared tear...
a meal...

Many things offered throughout the day that are

just a brief relief from the road of suffering we're traveling
as they shoulder part of the burden of our cross.

Just as the Lord called Simon by name to
carry the cross for His Son,
so He is calling others to help carry your cross.
Can you feel His lovingkindness through others?

And when you're strengthened from your trial
 and standing in the surging crowd,
 listen for your name.
He'll call you.
He'll use you.
 He knows you understand
about carrying a cross.