Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
Ex. 6:6 ... Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:
When I read this, I thought of how the same things is true for us today. God delivers us from the burdens of the world. The world follows after certain things... money, achievement, physical beauty ... and we, from a very early age, learn to seek these things which cause us to be admired by humans of this world, thus taking on the burdens of the world.
But when God chooses us and begins to deliver us and form us into HIS image, bit by bit we are given a word which causes us to go in another way and that word ends up transforming us into HIS image.
The world seeks after money and admires those who achieve great wealth on this earth. We are taught by God that we brought nothing into this world and surely we will carry nothing out. Therefore having food and raiment let us be content. I Tim. 6
Money is one of the main burdens of life. And that burden can continue with us as long as we live on this earth unless we learn another way. (For most of us it is not that we lack at the moment. Don't we have food? Don't we have clothing? The lack comes in a desire to obtain more money.)
Recently there was a story on sports news of a rich man who has offered a "billion dollar" challenge. That type of story can catch our attention and set us on fire with a type of lust and desire. I didn't hear the story but at the side of the TV screen I could see they were going to tell this story. At first, I was sitting waiting to hear the story. But then I realized, What is that to me? I live by another way now. I have food. I have clothing. That is all I need. When I reasoned this, I just turned the TV off.
I believe these words are becoming more and more a part of my being ... I Tim. 6:8 ... And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
I know this scripture is taking over in my life daily as money comes to mind and I refocus on "Do I have food today? Do I have raiment today?" Having such, be content. And I relax.
So the great burden of money dissolves as I reposition my mind to the Word of God.
Another great burden is reputation ... for some it is achievement ... for others it is achievement with the physical body ... When we choose to follow Phil. 2, we begin freeing ourselves from this burden ... Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant (a servant to God), and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.(obeyed God regardless of the cost to Himself.)
Make no mistake, there is always someone out there who does things to provoke us to try to show ourselves important or worthy. Keeping this under control is a challenge. I have a cleaning woman who thinks herself to be wise and thinks me to be foolish. Three times recently she has said things to show her wisdom and to put me down. I just prayed and committed this to God. It is sort of like Hagar despising Sarah because Hagar could do what Sarah couldn't do. And because of this Hagar despised Sarah. Gen. 16:4
I have worked diligently to make myself of no reputation (avoiding things that make me look wise or exalt me)... not trying to exalt myself and make myself seem important to other people. Apparently I am achieving this for I find often I am looked upon as an old, unimportant woman, basically worthless. This brings further separation between the people of this world and the people of God for the people of God know the truth.
Trying to rise to the top and impress people is a terrible burden.