When Sorrow Seems too Great a Weight to Bear

He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief…Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down.

{ISAIAH 53:3-4}

Ten years ago we buried a brother whose life was cut short like a tender shoot at the age of sixteen. He carried burdens in his young soul we wished to bear for him. We had carried his grief in the brokenness of our hearts. And in that barren season, we also bore the hollow weight of an empty womb. For ten short weeks I carried a non-viable pregnancy, and silently sorrowed still.

These are the unseen sorrows, yet these trials produced in us a glory that far outweighs them. Then for 39 ½ wonder-filled weeks I was blessed to carry our baby girl with hopeful expectation. In these 7 years she has carried with her a joyous new life.

Everyday we meet strangers at the store, folks from church, a friend on the other line, who carry loads that weigh them down. Bearing sorrows unseen and unspoken, they carry a diagnosis; the burden of a prodigal; pieces of a broken marriage; scars from their past; a hidden addiction; depression and shame.

We never know what someone is carrying around in their souls, beneath their skin. But there is One who does. He is well acquainted with grief (they called him a man of sorrow) stricken and afflicted. Yet it was our weakness He carried; it was our sorrows that weighed Him down upon that cumbersome cross.

In Isaiah 53, the Hebrew word is nasa, meaning “to bear,” by way of one person becoming the substitute or bearing the shame of another. In this prophetic passage, we see how Jesus bore our weakness, our sickness, and our brokenness in his body, so we no longer need carry such heavy loads.

Jesus said that when we come to him, he makes our heavy seem light on his shoulders. “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” {MATT. 11:28}

What have you been carrying around for too long? What do you need to give over to Jesus today?

Carry

Read the verse of the day: ISAIAH 53:4

Look up today’s verse and read it in context of the chapter. Have a pen and paper ready. We will work through five steps.

Write down the Bible verse.
Find the key word and circle it.
Look up the definition of the word (notice how it is used in context).
If you are reading from a different translation of the Bible, which word is used instead?
Underline where you find a promise. Find the heart of this verse and mark it with a heart shape.

(Click here for How to Use a Word Study.)

Meditation

What does this verse reveal about God’s heart? How does this truth refresh your soul? Turn this into your prayer today.

Please leave a comment below to share something that touched you in today’s devotional.

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