Cast All Your Cares on Him

Back in the springtime I was coming home from the shops and came across a lamb in the lane. He was running up and down, trying to get back into the field to his mother. I quickly took my shopping home and then went back to find the lamb. Understandably, he was frightened and ran away, and we had a bit of a chase.

Eventually a car came along. They saw what was happening and the passenger got out to help me. We managed to trap the lamb between the fence and the car, with one of us standing at each end of the car. I picked up the lamb, took him back to the field and he ran off to find his mother, unharmed.

What struck me was how light he was. He was covered with a woolly fleece which made him look quite sturdy, but his body was tiny – and his little heart was pounding with fear. Here was a tiny frail creature, very vulnerable and helpless – and Jesus is described as the ‘Lamb of God’.

The high King of Heaven with ‘hands that flung stars into space’ (words from the song ‘The Servant King’ by Graham Kendrick) came to earth, allowing Himself to become vulnerable and frail for us. Jesus had the universe at His fingertips and yet He laid that all that aside and, in His vulnerable state, carried all our griefs, our sicknesses, our weaknesses and distresses, so that we could be eased of our burdens.

When Jesus tells us to take His yoke upon us (Matthew 11: 29), He is describing what happened when an older, experienced ox would be yoked alongside a youngster learning how to draw a plough. The older ox would carry the weight of the yoke and the younger one would just be linked with him, so they could walk side by side.

I am writing this seed very much for myself, as we are going through family stresses at the moment, as I guess many of you are. I know only too well how difficult it is to allow Jesus to carry the weight of our problems. After all, we care so much about our loved ones, and, naturally, their pain and distress hurt us.

It doesn’t always help when well-meaning Christian friends remind us of the Scriptures. We know them only too well and reminding us of what we should be doing somehow adds to the burden. But when we can get to the place of sharing our hurt and pain and anxieties with Jesus, we can know that He is walking with us, side by side, carrying the weight, because He knows and understands. The very fact that He allowed Himself to become so weak and vulnerable made Him able to understand what we go through as human beings.
So, let us pray together.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You that You became frail and vulnerable for us so that You can understand our hurts and griefs. However, I know that You are more than strong enough to carry the weight of my load. So please help me to cast all my cares on You and trust that You are walking beside me day by day. Amen.