Lightening The Load

Lightening the Load

The Woman At The Well

Read: John 4:27-38

As Heidi stepped outside the door of the clinic, she realized that she would have to get used to walking normally again. Ever since the water-skiing accident, her right leg had been encased in a thick cast that reached from her ankle to her thigh. She had finally become used to the feeling of dragging around a concrete block. Now, with the cast removed, her leg seemed weak, but she felt as if she could fly to the car.

The Samaritan woman left more than her water jar behind at the well. When Jesus revealed himself as the Messiah, she understood that he offered her forgiveness instead of condemnation for her sinful past. She immediately ran to share the news with others, leaving behind her the burden of guilt, shame, and humiliation. She left behind her the old identity as an immoral woman viewed as an outcast by society, and she began the new life of a righteous woman accepted by God as a beloved daughter. The same woman whose heavy footsteps had plodded along the path toward the well now raced with light feet down a different road.

We all carry burdens—a troubled past, present problems, or worries about the future. Sometimes we feel that our spirits, if not our backs, will break. God never meant for his children to drag around such heavy loads. But how can we let go of our burdens when we have legitimate worries? It’s a hard lesson to learn, but God wants to teach us. The more we get to know him through prayer and his Word, the more we learn that we can trust him to control the circumstances of our lives. When we honestly share our burdens with our heavenly Father, our loads are lightened, and we can go through life with lighter footsteps.

Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you.

Psalm 55:22