Heavy

Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul?

 - From Psalm 43

"Heavy" is a powerful word. It can sound quite poetic. "He ain't heavy . . . he's my brother." Something that is "heavy" is something that is difficult to move, or carry. 

The 43rd Psalm continues a theme that was present in the 23rd Psalm . . . it is about going through troubled times. It talks about things like: When we're already down, why do even worse things happen to us? We are we always kicked, when we're down?

The Psalmist does offer up a smidgen of hope. He is begging God to get him to that place of rest . . . the Psalmist can't wait to praise God for carrying him to safety.

Jesus said that He would carry our yoke for us, and yokes are heavy. Why then, does the Christian walk feel so heavy, so much? Psalm 43 tells us that we are not alone. Always remember that. No matter how bad it gets, remember that Christ has taken it on for us. And even though we remain sick, or battered, or worried, or scorned; we can dig into that reservoir of faith and realize that it really isn't a problem. 

The Psalmist had a limit to his faith. He was not able to place himself in that spot where, no matter what's happening to him, he can be at peace . . . so certain he is, that Christ is there with him. The Apostle Paul was a little better at that; rather than cry out to God to save him, he sang hymns, while wearing shackles in a Roman prison. 

So, two points: We all go through hard times. Even (and probably especially) the heroes of the Bible. The second point is: Jesus really does carry your burden. In the worse of times, somewhere deep within you is a fountain of peace and joy. Find it. I think that the biggest problem is that we forget that, when we need to remember it. 

Life can be unbearably heavy for is. But that's okay.