I huddled underneath my picnic blanket, hail beating down onto the creek in front of me. My body throbbed with pain, protesting how much I had been pushing it the last couple of weeks. And years. But it was nothing to the internal waves of pain washing over me in waves. Death. Grief. PTSD. Mediating. It had been weighing on my shoulders that week.

I was tired of fighting the good fight and trying to do the right thing. I wanted to do the easy thing. Maybe you do too. As I sat there in the rain and pain, something broke. I gave up trying, and instead withdrew, simply going through the basic motions of life.

But over the next few days, God pressed verses into my heart and mind that all had the same message. “Cease striving.” Surrender. I had been trying so very hard for such a very long time. Yet while God doesn’t want us to give up — rather to stand firm (Ephesians 6:13) — maybe we can stop trying so hard to be everything for everyone all the time.

Our God is a God of grace and love. He fights for us. It’s not wrong to be weary of fighting, it’s human. It’s Biblical to be still. To let go. To allow someone else to fight for you too. Doesn’t that bring relief?

Imagine what it would be like to let go of everything into the hands of God. That’s allowed. That’s good. That’s encouraged. Let’s try it.

Lord Jesus, thank you that I am not alone. Life is heavy right now and I’m weary. But I am choosing to surrender and trust you with these burdens. I love you.

Throughout This Day: Ask God to remind you to rest in his strength whenever you begin to carry the burdens of life on your shoulders instead of handing them all over to him.



Tags: Daily Devotional Exodus 14
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