Day 3 - October 27 - Matthew 11:28

Your Name is COMFORTER

Mighty God, wherever I am weary or carrying heavy burdens,

answer my prayers for you are my sustainer.

Give him your burdens. Let him carry your worries.

 

Jesus said, "Come to me,

all you that are weary

and are carrying heavy burdens,

and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28

 

When I hear the word "comforter," I think of autumn leaves and smoke from the chimney. This is the glorious time of the year when the temperature turns, and sloths like me have an excuse to lay on the couch and cuddle up in a blanket. Indeed, hunked down, wrapped a thick, down comforter!

 

I'm a guy. I carry my own burdens. And other forms of "comfort" are for children. Right?

 

Wrong!!!

 

Think about it this way: Women's bodies -- with child-birth and other perils -- go through so much more trauma than men's bodies ... and yet women live, on average, four years longer than us guys. How come? It's because Satan's lies are very clever. He says "Men, pick yourselves up by your own bootstraps, carry you're own burdens, and quit whining, because comfort isn't manly." 

 

Well, I think it's past time to turn that around ...

• What if we said, instead, that ... Work is manly, working hard is heroic, and weariness might just be the natural fruit of boldness.
• What if we said, instead, that ... Carrying heavy burdens is a sign of strength, and weight lifting and burden bearing are signs of brute force and backbone. 
• What if we said, instead, that ... Illness and death charge at us and our families like Trojan soldiers, and cool water and rest are the trophies of the valiant.
• What if we said, instead, that ... Letting someone carry our burdens is teamwork and commaraderie among fellow warriors.

Soldiering through life is brave and tiresome. But our Crucified Captain says, "I see how hard you're working, and I simply want to journey alongside of you -- carrying a piece of the load as a fellow warrior, giving you a cool cup of comfort when your tired and thirsty, taking his turn at the nightwatch so you can get some sleep."

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who'll take

a cool cup of living water

any day