Being on a church’s prayer list often means getting dramatic weekly reminders of sin and death. I am on two churches’ prayer lists, and one of those churches just experienced an unspeakable, relentless year of tragedy. The agony has been crushing. Even the opportunities for giving meals, cards, prayer, and visiting were at times overwhelming.


When the suffering of this world seems to drown us in the depths of the sea, Jesus instructs us to trade our yoke for His. We are to trade our burden of being unable to wholly comfort those who are suffering for His burden, which is simple: acknowledge Him as Lord of our lives and trust in His sovereignty. This is not to say that we shouldn’t actively love those who suffer. But know that where we will inevitably fail, God will provide in abundance. The suffering of this world is too much for a sole sinner to carry. The only person that could do that is Jesus. And He did carry it on the cross. Let’s turn to Jesus, pray for those in need, and trust in His goodness.