April 30

One of His disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, was reclining at His side. — John 13:23 BSB

The word “leaning” is such a comforting word. John leaned on Jesus’ chest, near His heart. We need to learn more about what it means to lean on the love of Christ. We often think about giving Jesus a few of our burdens, but He wants to carry both us and all of our load!

There’s a story of a man moving his library, with his little boy helping him. The boy proudly carried a stack of books, but halfway up the stairs, the load became too heavy, and he called for help. The father heard the call, came up the stairs, and carried both the boy and his books.

That’s what Jesus does for us. He takes our sins and forgives them. He takes our wicked hearts and changes them. He takes our ruined lives and restores them. He takes all of our mistakes and makes them right. He guides our steps, shapes our circumstances, and delivers us from temptation. All we really have to do is live each day faithfully, trusting that He is carrying both us and our burdens.