Everyone has a story. And many times we diminish the beauty of our own because we compare it to someone else’s. We don’t have to do that. We just have to learn to embrace our own.
“Through All Of It” – Colton Dixon
Tag: faith
Lent 2022 | Day 5: Walk
One of the many images we find as it relates to the Christian life is the image of walking with Jesus. While Jesus was on the earth the primary mode of getting around from place to place was that of walking. So it should not surprise us that walking can serve as an important illustration of how we should think of the Christian life.
I find it interesting how walking with God is often framed in a particular direction. We are walking towards heaven, or to some purpose or mission. Our assumptions about walking with God are usually connected to the destination. But what if this is all wrong? What if that is not what God had in mind when he invites us to walk with him?
As Christians, walking with Christ is a challenge, but it is not a challenge that Jesus wants us to fail.
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When we talk about walking with God we should probably think about this relationship with God as walking at a particular pace. What that means is we should not be too hurried or too inclined to drag behind.
When we walk with someone we have to try to match their pace. It is usually the person who has greater stamina who makes the adjustment for the person with lesser stamina. What this means for us as Christians is that even though walking with Christ is a challenge, it is not a challenge that Jesus wants us to fail. The longer we walk with him the greater our endurance becomes. The less taxed we feel by the endeavor.
The second idea we should consider when thinking about walking with Jesus is the idea of awareness. We often take for granted the roadways and walkways we have access to in our modern communities. And while there may have been roads in the ancient world they were not constructed from materials providing a smooth surface. Even with cut stone, the roadways would still have had contours and texture.
In a way, as we talk about walking with Jesus we should be mindful of the fact the places we will go and the terrain we must travel will require an increased awareness. The unevenness of the ground, and the potential roots and holes that could trip us up, are all hazards we must keep an eye out for. In the same way that this is true in the natural world, the same kinds of hazards exist in the spiritual world.
The journey we take with God as we walk with Christ requires we do not take as an assumption that we will be traveling along safe and maintained avenues. To walk with God is to walk a dangerous path. Not because God wants to see us harmed but because life in a fallen world will always have the potential for peril at any turn.
Even Jesus warned us to be mindful when we went out into the world to fulfill God’s purpose in our lives. Whether we want to accept it or not, one of the undeniable realities of the human experience is that there will be trials, and for some of us, there will be tribulations. It does not matter whether we expected it or not, we can endure it with God’s help. No one will ever live a trouble-free life, no matter how hard we would like to avoid it, life leaves us no alternative.
While this may seem dark and even pessimistic to some I take a different view. The fact that Jesus himself endured the difficult journey of life, gives me an enduring hope that regardless of what life may throw at us we can know that not only can it be survived but we can thrive in the midst of what comes. This may sound counterintuitive. Even a little “pie-in-the-sky” for some. But I am not basing this on my ability to make it. I am grounding my hope in God’s capability to bring me through whatever circumstances I may find myself in.
As we continue on the steady march toward Easter morning, I would encourage you to take some time this week, to get outside and take a short stroll (or even a long one), and spend some time reflecting on what your journey with Christ has looked like up to this point. And if there is anything you feel impressed by the Holy Spirit to change I would encourage you this take a step of faith in that new direction.
Lent 2022 | Day 1: Faith
The sacrifice of Christ on the cross is the fulfillment of promises and prophecies that God gave to his people from the moment they fell and were removed from the garden of Eden.
On this Ash Wednesday, as we prepare to enter into a season of reflection it is important to not lose sight of what we’re marching towards. Within the liturgical calendar, the season of Lent is a time of preparation. In this season we look back over the last few months to the journey that began during the season of Advent.
In Advent, we celebrate the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But in Lent, we prepare ourselves to acknowledge and celebrate the reality of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice on the cross.
The sacrifice of Christ on the cross is the fulfillment of promises and prophecies that God gave to his people from the moment they fell and were removed from the garden of Eden. On virtually every page of Scripture, we see the hand of God and we hear the voice of God through his messengers declaring the fulfillment of his ultimate redemption. A redemption that would bring to an end the sorrow and suffering that was brought into the world by sin.
The first day of the season of Lent is a time of reflecting upon the impact of sin in our lives. In particular, in those churches that have a service on Ash Wednesday, a particular practice has been used to mark both day and the believer. The use of ashes (which are made by burning the palm branches of the previous year) to signify that this life we lead on earth is transient and will eventually come to an end are imposed upon the foreheads of every believer.
The ashes are applied in the shape of a cross and the words “remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” With these words, we are reminded we are mortal and that this life will eventually come to an end. However, the ending is merely a transition from life on this earth to life before God.
We rehearse and remember the reality of the Lenten season because we as a people have a propensity to forget. And it is in this forgetting that we should force ourselves to remember.
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The season of Lent, which leads to the celebration of Easter morning, begins with a solemn service where we are called to remember that the weightiness of the season requires a seriousness of thought and reflection upon our lives. The celebration of Easter 40 days after Ash Wednesday should be a time of great rejoicing. After 40 days of reflection and meditation, we should be properly prepared to receive the glorious news that salvation has been purchased for us.
We might wonder why we believers who have already received the message of the gospel and the promises to which it signals should rehearse and repeat the season from year-to-year. I find that the reason is much simpler than we would care to admit. We rehearse and remember the reality of the Lenten season because we as a people have a propensity to forget. And it is in this forgetting that we should force ourselves to remember.
As we begin this season of the line I would encourage you to take some time to consider those areas of your lives where we all must surrender again our trust in our own abilities for a genuine confidence in Christ’s.
Regaining Focus in an unclear World
Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?
John 21:20-23 KJV
Introduction
At the start of every year whether people follow through with it or not it has become accustomed to setting out resolutions what we will accomplish in the new year. One of the greater challenges of following through with these resolutions is that oftentimes we pick things that will require greater changes than we are really prepared to do. We have not really learned that smaller changes over a longer period of time can provide lasting changes for the rest of our lives.
One of the struggles that we will have as we strive to leave a mark in this year is to seek a renewed focus for our lives. If we are not deliberate in our actions we can run the risk of missing what God has in store for us. Today I want to talk with you about regaining focus in an unclear world.
There are so many mixed messages being sent by the world in which we live. We have to do a better job of figuring out how to live our lives in a Christ-like way in a world that doesn’t want to have any part in that. How do we regain focus? How do we get our lives back on a road that will bring us closer to God?
Obey what Jesus has said
The first commitment we should make is Christians in this new year is to obey what Jesus said. I will grant it is not always easy to do what Jesus says. It isn’t easy because doing what Jesus says requires that we acknowledge that He has spoken. We are all on a journey to find meaning and significance. We all are looking for ways of making our lives count. So we make friends and we start families. We get involved in the community and we look for careers that will be fulfilling. We tell ourselves that if we do these things we will find happiness.
But no matter what we do doubt will linger in our minds. “Is this enough?” It is so hard to see what we need to do most of the time, but God desires to be a part of that process. God is looking for you and me to turn to Him and say, “God, I want to have a life filled with meaning and purpose. But I need you if I’m going to get there.” And do you know what He did? He sent Jesus.
Jesus was and is God’s way of saying I want to be a part of your life if you will let me. I find myself rededicating my life to Christ on a regular basis. Why? I do it because I make mistakes. I let people down. I let myself down. I’m not perfect. And it is only when I turn my life over to Him that I know I will be all right? Do you need to give your life to him today? Do you need to recommit your life to Jesus today?
When I look at the story here at the end of John I am reminded that we have to obey what Jesus says. We can’t go and do what we think that Jesus has said. If we do what we think He said we will get hurt and we will hurt others in the process. Our good intentions go wrong when we don’t follow the instructions. Peter had not been restored to fellowship long before he was concerned about somebody else’s status with God. When we fail to obey what Jesus has said we go and do foolish things. This is not something new. It’s something that has been going on from the very first moment that God breathed life into Adam.
Don’t underestimate your own struggles
The second commitment we should make is that we should not underestimate our own struggles. If we want to regain focus we have to be willing to admit that we have struggles. I don’t like to admit it, but if I want to have a chance at enjoying my life I can’t go and stick my head in the sand. Life is hard. We have to account for other people, what they say, what they do, what they mean. I have to account for my actions and how I will react in those situations when I deal with other people.
We have mortgages to pay, jobs to deal with, bosses to please, families to maintain, cars to fix, recitals to go to, students to teach, children to rear, and churches to build. Life is complicated. Because of this, we can’t afford to underestimate our struggles, because any wrench could bring the whole thing to a halt.
I don’t know about you, but some days are a real struggle. Trying to make the right choices, trying to live a good life. I really don’t have the time to be focusing my energy and effort on making sure other people are doing what they are supposed to be doing. If I were to spend my time trying to do this I would go insane.
Not everyone sees things the way that I do. Not everyone is interested in what I am interested in. Not everyone that I come in contact with on a daily basis holds the same things dear that I do. This is all part of the struggle that I must deal with. And yet I find myself in the same situation as Peter. I start looking around wondering, “What about Him?” I have to seek to do the best that I can with what God has given me. And I should do this with the sincere prayer that God would use what I give for His glory.
The comparison game is such a dangerous way to live our lives. God does not compare us to anyone else except Jesus. And that the standard is difficult enough on its own.
Compare yourself to Christ, Not to “John”
The third commitment we should make is to compare ourselves to Jesus and not to “John”. One of the most harmful decisions you can make is to try and compare yourself to someone else. When we compare ourselves to those around us we make assumptions about the other person that may not be true. But the assumptions that could be the most troublesome are the ones that you make about yourself. It doesn’t matter whether the comparison is positive or negative. Whether we are making ourselves better or worse. Do you know what the biggest problem with comparing ourselves to “John” is? We are comparing ourselves to the wrong person.
We too often get caught up in what is going on in other people’s lives at the expense of what is happening in our own. Peter wanted to know what was going to happen to John because he did not want to get any less than what John was getting. We are not here to compete with one another. We are not here to best one another and try to see who can do more for the church than the person next to us.
I think that this boils down to the way that we are taught about success. We are taught and told that success is competition. We have to do better than the person next to us if we want to get that promotion. We have to work harder if we want to get ahead. And what ends up happening is that we all have to maintain where we are just so we don’t fall behind. If we try to keep up with those that are around we will lose sight of something much more important, keeping up with Jesus.
There is a chorus that helps me to put aside that tendency to want to look across the aisle to see how I’m doing against so and so. The chorus says, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the life of His glory and grace.”
Commitment:
If you need to give your life to Jesus for the first time or if you need to give your life again do it today. You can pray something like this:
Jesus, I am not perfect. I need you to come into my life and help me to regain the right focus in my life. Help me to obey your word, help me to identify the areas of my life where I struggle, and let me look to you to see how I’m doing. In Jesus name I pray, AMEN.
Originally Delivered in 2004. It has been edited and expanded.
There Is None Like You/ You Are (The Love Of My Life) Medley- Jared Reynolds
According To Your Word
Where will you be when God reveals to you what you are here for? What will you say? Will you be ready to say anything at all?
30Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
34Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”
35And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37For with God nothing will be impossible.”
38Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Luke 1:30-38 NKJV
Where will you be when God reveals to you what you are here for? What will you say? Will you be ready to say anything at all?
I think Mary’s experience is typical of many people who seek to do God’s will but are not waiting for God to speak. We pray, we plead, and we seek to know what God is going to do with us and yet we are stunned when he speaks. If we believe God speaks, we should not be so surprised when he actually does.
Where were you when he spoke the first time? Or are you still waiting?
I find that most people have become jaded with the notion that God is going to use us to do his will. We say it, but we don’t believe it anymore. We are sitting in our homes, offices, cars, and maybe in our churches and we want to believe. We want it to be true for us.
We see it in others and we desire to be an instrument of his will. His perfect will for us, but the notion that it will ever come to pass has become nothing but a dream for the foolish, the wishful thinking of the immature dreamer.
We have become “realistic” about God’s will for our lives. But we have actually done is given up on God we have lost a sense of expectation that God will speak. In a way, we have become disappointed with God. We wonder if we can trust him at all.
What at one time was a deep passion has become bitter and stagnant. It is a lingering resentment at God.
We don’t tell anybody, we don’t want anyone else to know the truth of it. We want to be God’s servant, but instead, we have become hatred’s slaves. What else could it be? We are festering inside wishing that we could know what God is going to do with us. But all we hear is that painful silence.
Where were you? Were you in the pit of some confusion? In the midst of circumstances beyond your control?
Or did you find yourself broken and bruised hiding in the shadows of a church despising God and trying your best to be rid of him, or maybe that was just me. But he just would not let me go.
Or was it that I just could not afford to let him go and so I recanted. I repented and found myself at the feet of Jesus.
There are so many names that the scriptures ascribe to the Messiah, but the one that really touches my heart is the one that the prophet gave to him—Immanuel, God with us. The eternal God chose to come down and enter time and to be one of us.
God in his eternal power and magnificence poured himself into the frail and limited body of a man? And for what? To take that which he created out for a test run? No. He came to understand us and to provide a way back to the Father. But how was this to be done? How was God going to make it here to this earth? He would come as all other men had come. He came as a baby. And like every babe born to men, there was the need for a mother.
I love Christmas because it is a continual reminder of that fact, the truth, that God came to dwell among us. He came to show us what it really means to be human beings.
Where will you be when God comes through the door of your heart and asks for a favor? The angel came into Mary and said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one…”
Rejoice? Are we the kind of people that when God comes he commends us for the way that we have lived our lives? Will God be able to say of us that we are blessed because of the righteousness and faithfulness that is present in our hearts? Because I have to believe that God would not have picked just anybody to be the mother of His Son.
I know that there are some within the Christian faith that elevates Mary much further than is necessary, but I have to concede that Mary was not just anybody. Of all the women, in all the world, through all of history, God chose her. That makes her special. That makes her unique. And even though no one else will ever have that opportunity extended to them again, we should strive to be the kind of people that God would trust His son with.
But in a way he has. Any man or woman who has believed in faith has taken a similar step, as Mary did. By saying yes to Jesus we are accepting the responsibility to care for Jesus. We have accepted the responsibility to love him and share our lives with him. We are in a way like Mary carrying him with us because he lives in us and through us. With each passing day, with each opportunity to share our witness and testimony we give him life in a world that is lost and in need of him.
There is Mary finishing the chores of the day, thinking of the wedding that is only months away now, when all of a sudden an angel comes bearing strange news. “You are going to have a son and you will call Him Jesus.”
Where will you be?
Mary was minding her own business and all of a sudden she must make a choice. There was no time to think about it. There is no time to make him wait. Mary is stunned and asks the only question that comes to her mind, “How can I have a son when I am still a virgin.” The angel answers that there is nothing that God can’t do. And the most remarkable thing happens, that response is sufficient for Mary and she makes her own faith-filled statement, “Behold, the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.”
Where will you be when your faith is required of you? What will you do? How will you respond? The Christmas story is more than just the miracle of the incarnation. The Christmas story is a miracle of faith. It is a story of a young lady, struggling to make sense of life and marriage and without asking for it is chosen to bring the son of God into this world. Faith, whenever it is expressed, is a miracle because faith is the audacity to say, “According to your word.”
“According to your word” is the kind of faith that can move mountains.
“According to your word” is the kind of faith that can make kings come crashing to their knees.
“According to your word” is the kind of faith that touches the heart of God.
Let me tell you something, “according to your word” is the kind of faith that Mary taught to Jesus as he toddled around the house so that when Jesus stayed in the temple the teachers marveled at him. When Mary and Joseph came back to get him, Jesus responded that he was about his father’s business. We see a shadow of Mary’s faith in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus says to the father, “not my will, but thine be done.” Yes, he was a man, a man with a mama that taught him about faith. A man who understood that in order to live a life that is pleasing to God He must live “according to your word.”
Christmas is such a wonderful time of year. Enjoy the lights and the family. Enjoy the gifts and the tree. Enjoy the festive nature of the year, but let us not forget the babe. Let us not forget that the joy we have comes and stays when our lives are lived “according to [His] word.”
Some people in this world may be frustrated with God because he has not said anything to them and they are waiting. Could it be that we have not said what God is waiting to hear? Where will you be when God sends his angel? I’ll be waiting. May you have a Merry Christmas.
Originally Delivered: December 19, 2004. It has been edited and expanded.
Words matter.
In just my relatively short time serving God’s people, I’ve grown weary of some of the language and categories that often times get used merely out of habit (or it’s just the inherited way people have always talked about things). Many times it is because of the burden that this language can produce, as opposed to what Jesus intends with an easy yoke or teaching (Matthew 11).
In my own life, I’ve spent countless hours learning to use correct language in order to help others do the same.
Because words matter.
You see, my undergraduate degree is in the study of communication, or rhetoric. And one major thing I learned, and now have seen time and time again, is how much we are shaped by the language and categories we use to describe our experiences. The way we talk necessarily “boxes us in.” Sometimes in good ways, sometimes bad. How you talk about things becomes how you think about them and experience them. And it becomes problematic when it then “boxes” God in – in ways that aren’t actually possible and yet happens because of how we talk.
In recent generations, many in the American Church have normalized modern “business language” and “leadership principles” as their baseline for discussing the organization of the church. This has also led many to use this same sort of language in order to understand their relationship with God as well. Overall, I must say, my assessment is it has de-personalized God – which is terrifying honestly.
Most times the language and categories being used are incomplete and unhelpful. They are modern attempts to describe things that have already been described in Scripture in ways that are far more complete and helpful.
Sometimes when I attempt to critique the use of modern language and suggest better ways to talk about things, I’m met by people who feel like I’m “nitpicking.” But since taking thoughts captive (2 Corinthians 10) is what we are encouraged to do, it is an important work to look at how we think and talk about our relationship with God (or the church).
And so that leads to the need to discuss an important question: Why does it matter?
Words matter (especially when talking about our relationship with God and the church) because they shape not only our own outlook on faith, but also how we directly relate to God and to others!
When someone tries to explain their own experience of God to another person, it is always an interesting process for them to try and translate that experience in a way the other person will understand. So then, translating those experiences across groups of people, cultures, generations, etc. gets even more interesting. And since words are powerful enough to shape people’s understanding of a relationship with God – it means we must take the words we use seriously.
James talks about this very thing in his letter in the Scriptures actually (though you may have never applied it this way):
“When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.”
James 3:3-5
Our words are very powerful. And so how we talk about God must be done carefully, and with great reflection. Even more so if you are someone others listen to! Because how you talk about faith will influence how others talk about it. Which also means we must be willing to try our best to give complete pictures of a relationship with God right out of the gate. And we also must be willing to evaluate how well we actually did – and correct that language if necessary.
I never fault people for attempting to use language they see as culturally relevant in order to explain faith, the church, etc. I’m constantly doing the same thing.
But what I do fault us for is when we perpetuate the use of language without looking at whether it has been helpful or not.
Much of the modern business language being used in church settings has bugged me for a long time. But over the last several years I’ve become more outspoken about it because of how much I’ve seen it hurt my own relationship with God, others’ relationships with God, and overall the expressions of God’s people – or the church.
Thus, this blog series will address specific language that I have found particularly troublesome and problematic. Phrases, metaphors, and categories that have been mostly harmful and not helpful in attempting to give people the words they need to navigate faith, their relationship with God, and the church.
Whether it’s categories like burn out or deconstruction, or language like “leaving the ministry” or “excellence culture,” I will look to the experience someone is attempting to describe and compare it with how the Scriptures (and at times mothers and fathers of the faith who have gone before us) have described it. And hopefully you will find that I am trying to offer a way of thinking about this relationship with God we are all navigating using the language God uses in the Bible to describe such things.
Words matter.
Mine included.
So with a great deal of humility, here we go…
Lent 2020 | Day 28: “Believe”
No one can believe for you. We all have to believe for ourselves.
One of my favorite scenes in the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. In the scene, Indiana Jones must decide if he believes in his own worthiness to accomplish the quest. he has to ask himself if he believes that there is a way across. All the options are removed except one: take a step. So he does.
I know all the theology is not “right” in the scene. And while I don’t subscribe to the view that Biblical faith is a blind leap, the scene does help us understand everyone has to reach their own point of decision. No one can believe for you. We all have to believe for ourselves.
Lent 2020 | Day 23: “Glory”
As we continue our devotions through Lent, I feel the weight of the shift that has taken place. The world wide pandemic has really altered my perspective. It’s not that I wasn’t aware of the realities I’m addressing. It’s they have taken on a new texture and significance. I really feel like the way I see the world and my faith and God has changed. And I can honestly say it is in a positive direction.
I can’t really explains it. I’m not really trying to. I just know that after this whole thing is behind us, I know I will have been changed.
In a weird way, this is what glory means to me. In almost every instance I can remember in scripture, when glory is referenced it usually means God’s glory. And when God’s glory is in view, we are usually seeing it in its fullest expression. The glory of God is wonderful, if you can withstand it. But no sinner can. And so for us there is a sense in which God’s glory is horrify rather than edifying. The funny thing is that regardless, something will change when you encounter God’s glory.
As we continue drawing closer to Easter, I would encourage all of us to prepare to behold the glory of God. That way, when we come face to face with him we will rejoice and not cower.
Lent 2020 | Day 3: “Command”
The focus for Day 3 will be “command.”
One of my favorite moments that took place in Jesus’s ministry was when he encountered the Centurion (Matthew 8:5-12). The man comes to Jesus and asks him to heal his servant. And as Jesus says that he will, he says that he will go with the centurion to his house, but the centurion stops him and says to Jesus, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.”
What makes this story so impactful to me and the reason that I love it so much is because, in it, Jesus makes an amazing and bold statement about the faith of this centurion. He looks at the centurion’s faith. And Jesus says that there is no greater demonstration faith in all of Israel except the faith that is seen in this Gentile soldier. In this simple action, faith is both demonstrated and defined.
Why?
Why does Jesus say this about the Centurion’s faith? Because of the way the Centurion defined what it means to believe. The Centurion said to Jesus, if you would just say the word, it will happen. The Centurion was a man under authority. And the example that he gave was that if he commanded one of his servants to go, he would go, and if he commanded him to come, he would come.
It is amazing to me, that in this simple exchange, we see one of the most important aspects of faith. Faith is grounded in our obedience. It is grounded in our willingness to accept that which we have been commanded to do. When we surrender our will to the will of God; when we surrender our desires to the desires of God; when we surrender all that we are to become more and more like Christ; we accept in faith, by faith, through faith, that who we are is who God has designed us to be from the very beginning.
The issue of command can sometimes be a burden because we do not want to submit to the one who has given it. But that is the heart of the problem. We have to recognize that in order for us to receive all that we desire from God, we must first surrender all that we desire in ourselves. This is the challenge of being a disciple of Christ. This is the challenge that we are being asked to confront in this season of Lent.
As we move forward, preparing ourselves to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, we must remember that we also like the centurion are those who ought to be under authority. We must submit ourselves to the commands of God, as John tells us in 1 John, that the “commandments [of God] are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). So if they are a burden to us, we should ask ourselves a simple question. Why? what must I do to relieve myself of this burden? The reality is the answer is quite simple. We must obey. And in our obedience, we will see the faithfulness of God manifested as he speaks the word like he did over the servant, he can do that for us even today.