Bible Society of South Africa

Day 3: God is a BURDEN BEARER- 12 February 2020

By Benescke Janse van Rensburg

Bible text(s)

Psalms 27

14Trust in the LORD.

Have faith, do not despair.

Trust in the LORD.

Psalms 27:14GNBOpen in Bible reader

Proverbs 19

17When you give to the poor, it is like lending to the LORD, and the LORD will pay you back.

Proverbs 19:17GNBOpen in Bible reader

I would like to share with you a testimony of Lorrein Katzke, a colleague of mine at the radio station where I work:

Lorrein: “As a young teacher I earned a small salary. Yet I budgeted in such a way that I had enough petrol money to go and visit my parents on weekends. One late Sunday late afternoon, I was on my way back to the residence where I stayed.

On the outskirts of town, one specific house drew my attention. In my heart I felt a prompt to go and give the people a certain amount of money. I immediately silenced ‘the voice’ as I was in dire need of the money myself. Again I felt an urgency to go and hand them the money. When it happened for a third time, I prayed in the car: ‘Lord, if this is You talking to me, let the radio go silent.’ I hardly finished my sentence, when my car radio suddenly stopped playing – almost as if an invisible hand switched it off. I immediately turned around to go to that house.

On the way up the steps to the front door, I wondered what I was going to say. Why would a stranger suddenly come and drop off money? I knocked on the door. Inside I could hear a baby crying. The man who opened the door looked exhausted. Behind him I could see that the house was dark with only a few candles burning. I held out the money to him, hoping that he would say that he didn’t need it. Instead he took it and asked why I brought the money. I told him that God sent me. Tears started to stream down the man’s face. He told me that he and his wife prayed for an outcome earlier that night. Their electricity was cut off and there was no money for milk for the baby in the house.

I wish I could say that I left there with a song in my heart. I didn’t. All I could think about was why God would tell me to give away my last money for the month. The next day, I had to go to the Post Office in town to fetch a parcel I was waiting for. It was not yet there. Instead, the man handed me a letter addressed to me. It was anonymous, but I could see it was posted in Pretoria. When I opened it, I found double the amount of money I gave away the night before. I never found the benefactor, but until today I know Who sent that money to me!”

Lorrein is right. God is a BURDEN BEARER – and at times He uses us to demonstrate his love to others. In Psalm 27:14, the Psalmist reminds us to remain patient: Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”Also in Proverbs 19:17 we read: “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.”

What breakthrough are you praying for – a spouse, a job, a baby, a dream to be realized? Let us trust God, knowing that His timing is always perfect! God bless.

Father God, thank you for carrying all my burdens. Please help me not to get impatient when a breakthrough takes longer than expected. Also, help me to be obedient when You need me as an instrument in Your hands to help answer someone else’s prayers. I ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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