Today your burden will be rolled away

When Jacob stole his brothers blessing, Esau was angered to the point of wanting to kill him.

Rebekah, his mother advises him to escape to her brother Laban’s house where he could be safe.

Isaac, Jacob’s father also wants him to go to Laban’s house and also expresses a desire to see Jacob getting married to one of Laban’s daughters.

Early next morning, Jacob sets off for his uncle Laban’s house. After travelling the whole day, when it gets night, Jacob places a stone under his head as a pillow and goes to sleep.

That night, God appears in a dream and pronounces blessings over Jacob.

When Jacob wakes up he remembers the vivid dream. He believes that the presence of God is in the place where he rested. Right there Jacob makes a vow: “If God stands by me and protects me on this journey on which I am setting out, provides me with food and clothing, and keeps me safe, this God will be my God”.  He also promises that he will offer 10 percent of all that he will receive, back to God.

When he continues the journey, it becomes obvious that Jacob’s desire and determination to acknowledge and glorify God brings favour from God.

He reaches a well of water where a few shepherds are waiting with their sheep. Jacob inquires with the shepherds if they know Laban. They not only know Laban they also inform him that a beautiful girl who is coming towards the well with sheep is Rachel, Laban’s daughter.

Jacob is curious about why the shepherds have brought the sheep away from the pasture before sunset. The response from them is interesting. The shepherds tell Jacob that the stone that covers the well is huge and it takes many other shepherds to collect together to roll it away. It is so huge a burden that it takes time and  effort. What’s worse, the helpless sheep have to suffer from two challenges, grazing for a lesser time because the shepherds rush them to the well hoping to make it in time to join others to roll the stone away and the challenge of waiting to quench their thirst.

Jacob is overwhelmed to see his uncle Laban’s sheep and his daughter Rachel coming to the well.

When Rachel reaches the well, Jacob single handedly rolls the stone from the mouth of the well and waters his uncles’ sheep. By doing this Jacob not only helps the sheep to quench their thirst before the other shepherds have arrived and the place is crowded but his act of valour seems to impress Rachel.

How did all this come about?

It is the outcome of Jacob’s vow to honor God. Divine favour and blessings begin to manifest immediately. He meets a beautiful girl. He falls in love at first sight with his future wife. And here is a more powerful event that happens because of that one decision; Divine favour helps him locate the woman who will go on to give birth to Joseph, the one through whom many nations will be blessed.

Can you see the power of what one decision to serve God can do?

1. It causes the favour of God to create a divine appointment with Rachel
2. Rachel will take him to her father’s house, the place of destiny where Jacob will find a new career opportunity
3. It leads him to a place from where he will begin to tithe ten percent of all his blessings, earnings and increase to God and thereafter go on to build  God’s house.

Powerful, life-changing blessings in response to making up his mind to acknowledge the presence of God.

The Gospel of Matthew mentions that after the death of Jesus, Mary Magdalene and the other women are eager to find Jesus. But they have a burden on their mind. The stone that was placed to cover the tomb. It was a huge stone and they are wondering how they would roll it away. They reach the tomb with determination to find Jesus.

Thank God the Gospel is not about mourning but about good news. When the women reach the tomb, they find that God had sent an Angel to roll the stone away. The Angel tells them that Jesus who was crucified is no more in the tomb. ‘He is  Risen’ the Angel announces.

So, Mary Magdalene and the rest, in determining to find access to the tomb, have found access to the risen Christ.

No more burden. The large stone that stood in their way and threatened to block them from reaching Jesus was rolled away.

Like Jacob and Mary Magdalene, the same holds true for anyone who seeks the Lord with all their heart.

The moment you decide to seek Jesus and be of use to the kingdom of God, to give ten percent of every increase that God has in store for you, you will find every burden rolled away.

Be it emotional burdens, financial burdens, burdens of sickness, pain, and shame, all of them will be rolled away with divine intervention and favour.

Are you burdened with something that seems too big for you?

Let us declare it together:

‘Today is the day that every burden  that prevents me from enjoying the  joy, freedom and the blessings of God are rolled away. In Jesus Name. ”

Bible verses:

Genesis 28 (NIV)

Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear ²¹ so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the Lord^[f] will be my God ²² and^[g] this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”

Mathew 28 (NIV)

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.