Sister Brenda Weds PM 4/27/11

Sister Brenda Weds PM 4/27/11

This story is of a young mother with three children, the oldest , Sarah, was five and had down syndrome.  Sarah stuttered bad and one morning she came out very proud of herself and said, “M-m-mom I-I d-d-dressed m-myself.”  Life had been hard for their family and there was financial stress as her husband was just about to be laid off.  It was evident that if he was they would lose their home.  Sarah had gotten herself dressed and was ready to go to bible school.  When her mother looked, she saw a mess, wool socks, plaid and polka-dots, two socks on one foot, and her shoes on backwards, yet she said, “You look beautiful!”  

The little girl had also packed her backpack: five Lego pieces, a box of paperclips, an undressed Cabbage Patch doll, 3 puzzle pieces, and a crib sheet from the linen closet.  The mother tried to tell her child to leave the backpack home, but she cried, “I n-n-need it!”  Since she was fervent that she needed her backpack, the mother let it be and took her on to vacation bible school.  She dropped her off with a smiling teacher and went on to take care of a few items of business.  

When she came back to pick up Sarah, she thought as she stood in the door and watched Sarah from a distance, “I sure do love her.”  God spoke to her heart, “That is exactly how I feel about you.  I love you; I’m concerned about your situation and what you are going through, and I love you.”  

God spoke to her then, “What is in your backpack?  It is like Sarah’s; it’s full of junk, fears and anxiety: Lego pieces.  Yet you think that you need to pack it.  Give me your backpack.”

What are you packing?  What’s on your back?  God’s speaking to us on what we’re struggling with.  We all want to be free of worry and healthy; give the backpack to God.  Trust him.  Our backpack is full of junk; it’s just weighting us down, and we think that we need it.

Isa 43:1  But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

Isa 43:2  When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Isa 43:3  For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.

Isa 43:4  Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.

Isa 43:5  Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;

Isa 43:6  I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;

Isa 43:7  Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

We are going to go through the waters.  God will help us go through the waters.  I know that some of you are going through some really hard waters.  God wants to take the backpack; He wants to take care of you.

The thought on my heart: 

1Pe 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

It is hard for us sometimes to give up the backpack and realize that we are carrying around junk that we think we need to carry.  Cast it on Him, let Him take the backpack.

Cast means to throw upon.  We have a dog that loves for you to throw a stick.  He doesn’t just bring a little stick.  He likes to carry big sticks, logs, around.  My arm is hurt from something and it hurts to throw them for him sometimes.  It is hard to cast the pack off sometimes.

Psa 55:22  Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

The word Cast here means to throw out, down or away.  

God is on our side, He wants everyone to make it.  

Burden means lot or what is given to us.  Sometimes our backpack is full of things that are just our lot.  It is just our life or maybe what someone else has thrown into our pack.  God help us to cast it upon Him and let Him carry that load.

Mat 6:25  Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Mat 6:26  Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Mat 6:27  Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

Mat 6:28  And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

Mat 6:29  And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Mat 6:30  Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Mat 6:31  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

Mat 6:32  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

Mat 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Mat 6:34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

God knows what we need.  He already knows.  Our part is to seek God and love Him with all of our heart.  “God help me to love you with all my heart and to focus on serving God.”  

He can carry the backpack, whatever our burden is.

Thought means to be anxious about or full of care.  Take no thought for the morrow.

Mat 10:28  And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Mat 10:29  Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.

Mat 10:30  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Mat 10:31  Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

God is an amazing God; He knows how many hairs are on our head.  It is amazing what God has done and how mighty He is.  To think that He cares about us!

He cares with interest and affection for us.  This is amazing!

Jer 31:3  The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

We have faith and confidence in the word of God; we believe what it says.  God loves us.

Psa 40:17  But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

Isa 49:15  Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

Isa 49:16  Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

To be graven is more permanent than writing that can be washed off.  We are graven in the palms of His hands.

Psa 71:18  Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.

Even as we get old and grey headed, God has a work for us to do.  We want to show forth the beauty of God.  We don’t want to be old cranks.  God, please help me to have a heart that is right so that when I get older I will be prepared to show forth thy power.”

Heb 10:12, Col 3:1 I Picture God on his thrown and Jesus sitting on the right side.

Act 7:54  When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

Act 7:55  But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

We need to be full of the Holy Ghost.  

Jesus stood up when Stephen was going through the hard time and suffering.  I can picture Him standing and looking out toward Stephen here on earth and watching.  He sees and He cares.  He knows what you are going through; he’s watching.

Give God the backpack.

Song:

Verse 1:
Does Jesus care when your heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth and song
As the burdens press and the thoughts distress
And the way grows weary and long?

Chorus:
Oh yes He cares, I know He cares
His heart is touched with my grief
when the days are weary the long nights dreary
I know my savior cares.

Verse 2:
Does Jesus care when my way is dark
With a nameless dread and fear
As the day light fades into deep night shades
Does He care enough to be near?

Verse 3:
Does Jesus care when I’ve tried and failed
To resist some temptation strong
When for my deep grief there is no relief
Though my tears flow all night long?

Verse 4:
Does Jesus care when I’ve said good bye
To the dearest on earth to me
And my sad heart aches ‘til it nearly breaks
Is it ought to him does He see?