He Wears No Strain: The Effortless Shoulders of Grace
What is too heavy for us is nothing to the One who carries all things with ease.
Devotional Credit:
Days of Heaven Upon Earth by A.B. Simpson
Photo Credit:
Image courtesy of Unsplash
The Lord never buckles under our burdens. What feels impossibly heavy to us is light to Him—not because He dismisses our pain, but because His strength is not like ours. We groan under the weight; He doesn’t. He never asks for help carrying what we place in His hands. Instead, He reminds us: “Cast it on Me, and I will sustain you.” He will carry you and your burden—and He will not tremble.
A.B. Simpson gently reminds us that our perception of God's burden-bearing is often skewed by our human frailty. We imagine that when we come to Him with our sorrow, our struggle, our sanctification, He must also wrestle under its weight. But that is not the nature of divine strength. Christ upholds the entire government of the universe on one shoulder. He bears our sanctification, our healing, our peace—not with strain, but with sovereign ease.
When we come to Him, we do not tumble downstream like a helpless boat headed for destruction. We are drawn upward—into His embrace. Grace is not a river that drowns us, but one that delivers us into the arms of the One who cannot be shaken.
This is our confidence: Nothing is too hard for Jesus. The song in the dark reminds us—no one works like Him. And He is not weary.
Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture:
My child, cast your burden on Me. I am not overwhelmed by what overwhelms you. I carry all things with ease—the weight that presses on your heart is not too much for Me. You are not placing your sorrow on fragile shoulders; you are placing it on everlasting arms.
I do not groan when you groan. I do not waver when you tremble. I do not need to catch My breath beneath your load. I sustain you with unshakable peace and surround you with songs of deliverance. My power works mightily in your weakness, not with strain, but with joy.
You are not lost in the current. You are upheld in grace. Sanctification, healing, peace—these are not difficult for Me. I am able. I am willing. I am in you.
Draw near to Me with confidence, for I never tire of your coming. I never hesitate to lift what you cannot. Rest in My sufficiency, and you will see: nothing is too hard for Me.
Scripture References: Psalm 55:22; Isaiah 9:6; Deuteronomy 33:27; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Romans 4:21; Hebrews 7:25; Philippians 1:6; Zephaniah 3:17; Isaiah 26:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; Psalm 32:7
Real-Life Analogy:
It’s like handing off a heavy box to a warehouse worker with a forklift. You struggled to lift it, knees bent, back aching, but when he arrives, he slides it onto his machine and lifts it with a hum—no strain, no sweat, no effort. The burden doesn’t disappear—it just shifts to someone with the power to carry it effortlessly.
In the same way, we often clutch our spiritual weight as if we must drag it to Christ inch by inch. But when we yield to the Holy Spirit, trusting His indwelling life, the burden shifts. He bears it fully—whether it's a strained relationship, an ongoing weakness, or the weariness of waiting. You can whisper in your heart today: “Lord, I trust You to carry this fully in me and through me. I yield to Your strength, not my struggle.”
Prayer of Confidence:
Father, I thank You that You are not weary when I come. You are not burdened by what weighs me down. I rest today in the truth that You bear it all with grace, not groaning. I praise You that Christ in me is never shaken, never overwhelmed, never strained. I cast my burden on You—not to be rid of it, but to remember Who holds me. Thank You for carrying me, not just through my circumstances, but through the sanctifying work You’ve already begun and promised to complete. I trust You in this moment. Amen.