Hello, my dear friend!

When I wrote last week’s Message of Hope on “Daily Benefits,” I had the sense that God wasn’t done with Psalm 68:19. So let’s take another look, shall we?

Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation! Selah (Psalm 68:19, NKJV)

By shifting our focus to “loads,” we can discover more of what the psalmist intended. As with most Hebrew definitions, this word carries some heavy weight. (Yes, I know it’s a pun—I couldn’t resist.) It literally means “to impose a burden.”

We can certainly relate to this in our culture today. From health to housing to jobs to poverty to fatherless children, the world’s issues definitely impose a burden. Some people handle it with grace. For others, not so much.

However, when we shift our focus to the spiritual realm, the “imposed burden” becomes a glorious gift! Can you imagine being so burdened down with God’s benefits? Too heavy to carry? Too much of a good thing? Too overwhelming? Honestly, as I’m typing these words I’m not sure I can wrap my brain around the imposed burden of God’s benefits. Maybe you can’t either.

Which leads me to ask, Why? Why would God daily load us with so many benefits that it appears to be a burden? There’s only one answer. He wants us to share them. Share His benefits of healing with those struggling with health issues, His benefits of abundance with those who don’t have enough food in their cupboards or a bed for the night, His benefits of love for those who feel abandoned.

And by sharing His benefits, we will never run out. Wow! Thank you for my daily burden of benefits, Lord!

Below are some questions to reflect and/or journal. Feel free to share your thoughts—I would love to hear from you.

• Have you been overwhelmed with the world’s imposed burdens? How does this message of hope help?
• Which benefits that are imposed burdens can you share with others?
• Do you have a different answer to the Why question?

Have a hope-filled week under the burden of His imposed benefits!