Your Burdens
Scripture Reading: Exodus 4-5; Matthew 16; Psalm 21
When Moses first approached Pharaoh, demanding that he let Israel go to worship in the wilderness, Pharaoh responded with a harsh command: “Get back to your burdens” (Exodus 5:4).
Work is good. Though it became more difficult after the Fall, God intended work to be part of our lives. It gives us a sense of purpose, enables us to provide for ourselves and our families, and, when done for the Lord, brings Him glory.
Rest is also good. From the beginning, God wove rest into the rhythm of creation, establishing the Sabbath as a gift for humanity. But like work, rest can be distorted—turned into laziness, indulgence, or constant entertainment. Even so, rest remains a good and necessary part of life. God created us with a need for sleep and a need to step away from labor.
Yet many of us struggle to rest. A little Pharaoh sits on our shoulder, whispering, “Get back to your burdens,” whenever we try to stop. We bring the demands of the brick kiln with us to church, distracting us during worship. We sing the doxology with one foot already out the door, rushing back to our tasks. We are rarely fully present anywhere except at the kiln, mixing mud and straw and stacking bricks.
But God calls us to something better. Rest is not a luxury; it is a gift from our Creator and a reflection of our trust in Him. Sabbath reminds us that we are not defined by our work, nor do we sustain ourselves by it alone.
Pray for grace to work diligently, as unto the Lord, but also for the grace to rest. When the little Pharaoh whispers, “Get back to your burdens,” remind yourself of God’s Word: “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for He gives to His beloved sleep” (Psalm 127:2). Rest in Him, knowing that He is the ultimate provider and sustainer.
