Simply Put...We Were NOT Meant For This

[Timl1980]

Stress...distress...trauma...anxiety...fear...lies...terrors...worries...my dear brothers and sisters... we simply were not designed  to deal with ANY of this...and yet...here we are...dealing with all of it...and more!

 

To show you this...to prove to each and every single one of you that Jehovah himself... (the creator of the entire Universe and everything in it) ...understands that YOU were not MEANT to deal with any of this...please join me in turning to a scriptural account where we see a brother who could TRULY feel what we as humans feel...and please follow me as we bridge the gap between then and when Jehovah finally BECAME in full control.

 

Psalms 38:4: " For my errors loom over my head; Like a heavy burden, they are too much for me to bear."

 

Please look closely at what David was actually saying here...for Hebrew speakers, "מַשָּׂא" (massa) encapsulated not just a physical burden but the crushing weight of guilt, sin, and sorrow. It would evoke the image of a back-breaking load, something that makes you bend under its sheer weight. When David speaks of his iniquities being "like a heavy burden," it would have stirred deep empathy and a somber acknowledgment of personal failings and the resultant emotional toll.

 

Where do we find the equivalent in the Greek scriptures? Who do we find speaking of this same exact feeling  in the Greek text?

 

The answer, of course, is Jesus Christ.

 

And the scripture?

 

Matthew 11:28: "Come to me, all you who are toiling and loaded down, and I will refresh you."

 

Here, Jesus speaks directly to those who are burdened, offering relief. The Greek word for "heavy laden", or, ("laden down"), is "πεφορτισμένοι" (pefortismenoi), which suggests being loaded down with 

something oppressive."

 

This, my dear brothers and sisters...is coming from a direct descendent of David from over 28 centuries later...and yet here we see the direct answer to all of our prayers...we, as humans, were simply NOT MEANT for this great burden...we were never meant to have to deal with these emotions to BEGIN with!!

 

David's words came from a place of personal sin and guilt...whereas Jesus' words came from a place of pure compassion...and offering rest from all of our troubles.

 

If you perform a deep study into these two verses...from these two completely different eras...you will quickly see the glaring difference...David's words would have caused a deep empathy from the people regarding his acknowledgement of his personal failings...whereas Jesus' words would have would invoked a sense of collective exhaustion, yet causing at the same time an immediate relief at the promise of rest.

 

David had a heartfelt plea in front of Jehovah...and Jesus responded with a heartfelt invitation to everyone!!

 

Do you get it?

 

It took me a while to understand this...and hopefully I can convey to you...what was conveyed to me, so please join me in the following illustration: 

 

Please picture yourself as being out for a gentle swim...you are but a few yards away from your friends and family when suddenly...out of nowhere...the water begins to broil...waves begin to churn all around you...the sharp current begins to pull you under...pulling you down...down beneath the waves...suddenly you find yourself gasping for breath...the weight of the water starts to press you down...DOWN...DOWN...and JUST when you feel that you can no longer fight...a lifeguard dives in right beside you and pulls you to safety, pulling you from the depths of the sea into the safety of the boat beneath your feet.

 

Friends...we have been rescued out of Satan's world into the figurative boat that Jehovah has provided, (his organization as provided through the faithful and discreet slave), but it is completely up to US  to remain in  the boat provided by Jehovah.

 

 It’s not just about being rescued once; it’s about continually choosing to stay secure within Jehovah’s provision, despite the ongoing threats.

 

Every wave that hits the boat could make you feel as if you’re going to fall overboard. These waves could be personal trials, temptations, or external pressures from the world ruled by Satan. But as long as you hold firmly to the boat, (Jehovah’s organization), you remain protected. 

 

This illustrates that while being rescued is a significant first step, our continuous choice to stay within Jehovah’s guidance is crucial for our survival and spiritual well-being.

 

Friends...we simply were not meant for this...our hearts and minds cannot manually  deal with all the stress and trauma that we are FORCED to endure...and that is why we NEED JEHOVAH!!

 

Please...join me in the prayers of millions of your fellow brothers and sisters in asking Jehovah to bring an end to the most unnatural thing we as humans have ever had to contend with...sin!!

 

We pray for the vindication of Jehovah's name...and of the sanctification of his sovereignty...these are indeed the primary focus of our prayers.

 

But it is also appropriate to pray for relief...and this is why I ask you to join me now in prayer for an end to the deadly infection that has polluted each and every single one of us: SIN!!!

 

My dear brothers and sisters...despite what Satan may want to convince us of otherwise...WE WERE NEVER MEANT TO DEAL WITH SIN!!!

 

Please join me in asking Jehovah to relieve us of this burden...and in the meantime...please UNDERSTAND:  You Were Never Meant For This...The Life You Are Living...You Are Being ROBBED!!!!

 

Jehovah loves each and every single one of you...and so do I!!

[jdcarlson]

Thank you Brother Tim for your heartfelt and discerning post.

 

You are absolutely correct  -  mankind was not created by Jehovah to deal with stress.

 

Satan is the source of our stress. It is his system that (1) makes everyone's life so hard, and (2) creates specific intensified stress on those who are doing their best to do Jehovah's will.

 

As you said, it is totally appropriate for us to pray for Jehovah's help.

 

You are right that we should not attempt to rely on ourselves to deal with the stress. On a personal level, that point really resonates with me. For many years I suffured from excess pride. I thought I was supposed to deal with things on my own. Over time this led to extreme depression to the point that I stepped aside as an Elder, after having enjoyed appointed privileges in the congregation for 48 years.

 

I am ashamed of myself for letting personal pride cause my spirituality to drop to the point that I had to step away from privileges I had enjoyed for many years.

 

Thankfully, with help of medication, AND A LOT OF PRAYER, the depression is no longer a problem. But, now my mental acuity and energy levels have dropped to the point I could not care for the duties I used to take care of. 

 

I am thankful that Jehovah still tolerates me. Even though I cannot drive at night, I can still attend midweek meetings through ZOOM, and most Sundays can drive to the Kingdom Hall during daylight.

 

There is one point in your post that deserves clarification.

 

In your post, while discussing Jesus comment recorded at Matthew 11:28 you said:

On 10/13/2024 at 5:07 PM, Timl1980 said:

This, my dear brothers and sisters...is coming from a direct descendent of David from over 28 centuries later..

 

It is true that David lived about 28 centuries before us.

 

But the comment intimates that it is talking about the time between David's writing and Jesus comment.

 

The problem is, David lived approximately 1,000 BCE (plus or minus 100 years). This would place David approximately 10 Centuries before Jesus. Thus, the comment would be "coming from a direct descendant of David from over 10 centuries later."

 

Please understand, my comment on dates is intented in no way to reduce the value of your post. You obviously have given this considerable thought. And I must admit I have never thought through this deeply enough to grasp the points you made before I read your post.

 

I look forward to more posts from you reflecting the same deep reasoning demonstrated in your post.

 

Thanks,

 

Jim

[Timl1980]

7 hours ago, jdcarlson said:

The problem is, David lived approximately 1,000 BCE (plus or minus 100 years). This would place David approximately 10 Centuries before Jesus. Thus, the comment would be "coming from a direct descendant of David from over 10 centuries later.

You are absolutely correct!!! My fault, I completely missed that! I wrote this post because I personally have been dealing with a lot as well. My wife and I lost both of our cars within the space of two weeks, and that's just one thing that has went wrong. Our natural inclination as sinful humans was to start pointing fingers, at ourselves, at each other...and then that triggered other things to suddenly start sliding downhill.

 

Our watchtower study this week was sorely needed by us personally as a family, it reminded us of the source of all of this stress, and the need to stop pointing fingers and to start helping each other out. The ransom sacrifice and the way it was discussed helped us to remember that everything we are dealing with now is temporary, the permanent solution has already happened, it's simply up to us to stay focused on what's really important.

 

We still had to sort out getting another vehicle, which has put us into debt, but we had to refocus our attention on how temporary this system truly is, and how the events that have shaken up our personal lives recently can actually be used to direct our gaze back to where it belongs...to Jehovah and the permanent solution he has already provided.

 

Thank you for sharing your personal experience as well, it is never easy to stare at our own imperfections and force them out into the open. Our tendency as humans is to hide all of that while at the same time bringing out everyone else's faults. So thank you for sharing!