Splendor of the Son*
January 19
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give
you rest.
Matthew 11:28–30
The rain sounded so relaxing with a cadence that lulled you into restful slum-
ber. It fell all through the night. In the early morning hours, when the tem-
perature was at its most frigid point, layer upon layer of ice formed, causing
tree branches to bow down, almost touching the ground. As the sun rose over
the horizon, the boughs glistened with dazzling beauty. And although the rays
of sunshine continued to dance on the frozen limbs, the temperature remained
at the freezing point.
Some branches that had been shielded from the full cascade of rain began
to gently ease upward as droplets of water fell from their grasp. Some remained
bent and looked as though they longed for relief.
Unfortunately, the early morning sun hadn’t reached many of the heavier,
ice-laden branches, and they snapped, broken and lifeless—branches that had
glistened in the splendor of the sun, branches that wished to grow, but could
no longer bear the strain of the weight.
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What a tremendous waste that so many trees would be destroyed because they
weren’t strong enough to bear the additional load. And so it is with us as the
wounds and disappointments accumulate, causing unbearable strain because,
due to embarrassment and pride, we cut ourselves off from the critical help we
need. We pridefully believe that no one else could ever understand. And so the
wounds continue to build, weighing heavily on us, our emotional and spiritual
stability ready to break at any moment. If we refuse to share our pain, it will
eventually consume us.
Jesus never meant for us to carry such burdens alone, and we should never
allow them to cling to us until they gradually overwhelm us. Unlike the tree,
we need not be broken. We can be wonderfully wholehearted, overcoming the
seemingly insurmountable pressures of life if we turn to Jesus. Jesus wants to
carry our burdens so that through His efforts we will reflect the splendor of
the Son.
Prayer
“Jesus, thank you for giving me rest. Help me learn how
to give you all my burdens, both great and small, so the
things of this world don’t overtake me. Amen.”
* Written b: Nancy Clouston
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