Traveling Light: Releasing the Burdens You Were Never Intended to Bear - Hardcover

Lucado, Max

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0849912970 ISBN 13: 9780849912979

Publisher: W Publishing Group, 2001

Synopsis

Sheds new light on an old favoarite, Psalm 23, asking us to consider the baggage we all carry and the overwhelming need to release these burdens to a God who is ready and willing to be our everything.

About this title

From the Back Cover

The luggage of life. Haven t you been known to pick up a few bags?

Odds are, you did this morning. Somewhere between the first step on the floor and the last step out the door, you grabbed some luggage. You stepped over to the baggage carousel and loaded up. Don t remember doing so? That s because you did it without thinking. The carousel is not one in the airport; it s the one in the mind. And the bags we grab are not made of leather; they re made of burdens.

The suitcase of guilt. The trunk of discontent. We heft a backpack of anxiety on one shoulder and drape a hanging bag of grief on the other. Add on a briefcase of perfectionism, an overnight bag of loneliness, and a duffel bag of fear. No wonder we are so tired at the end of the day.

But what can we do? Where do we turn for help? How about looking to an old friend, the twenty-third Psalm. . .

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil.
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD
Forever. (NKJV)

Using these verses as a guide, Max Lucado walks us through a helpful inventory of our burdens. May God use this Psalm to remind you to release the burdens you were never meant to bear.

From the Inside Flap

Weary travelers. You’ve seen them—everything they own crammed into their luggage. Staggering through terminals and hotel lobbies with overstuffed suitcases, trunks, duffels and backpacks.

Backs ache. Feet burn. Eyelids droop.

We’ve all seen people like that.

At times, we are people like that—if not with our physical luggage, then at least with our spiritual load.

We all lug loads we were never intended to carry. Fear. Worry. Discontent.

No wonder we get so weary. We’re worn out from carrying that excess baggage. Wouldn’t it be nice to lose some of those bags?

That’s the invitation of Max Lucado. With the twenty-third Psalm as our guide, let’s release some of the burdens we were never intended to bear.

Reviews

Feel the need to throw off the cumbersome burdens that weigh you down? Certainly, responsible adults learn to adjust to tremendous stresses and equip themselves to carry the heavy weights of self-reliance, weariness, worry and hopelessness over the long haul. But this is not necessary, says bestselling author Lucado (Just Like Jesus; He Chose the Nails; The Applause of Heaven). In Psalm 23, God counters the misconception that burden-bearing signals Christian maturity and admonishes followers to leave their loads at Christ's feet, as he is the only one truly equipped to handle the weight. Lucado dissects Psalm 23 while recounting tender tales of men and women who have overcome crushing circumstances with Christ's support. In keeping with Lucado's typical homespun style, humorous anecdotes often precede powerful punches of biblical truth. Rounding out this collection of essays is a study guide encapsulating each chapter's topic. Readers will travel back, up and on as they reread key excerpts, study pertinent Bible verses and allow the lessons to take root. This insightful collection not only measures up to the high standard of Lucado's own previous works, but his profound perspective on life and spirituality frequently exceeds expectations. (Oct.) Forecast: This should be quite a boost for the recently christened W Publishing Group (formerly known as Word), whose cup runneth over with Lucado. Sales for He Chose the Nails have reached 720,000 copies, while Lucado's recent devotional, Grace for the Moment, has sold 600,000 copies for J. Countryman. W will spend a cool half million in shepherding this title toward the green pasture of bestsellerdom.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

I need to learn to travel light. You re wondering why I
can t. Loosen up! you re thinking. You can t enjoy a
journey carrying so much stuff. Why don t you just drop all that
luggage? Funny you should ask. I d like to inquire the same of
you. Haven t you been known to pick up a few bags? Odds are, you did
this morning. Somewhere between the first step on the floor and the
last step out the door, you grabbed some luggage. You stepped over to
the baggage carousel and loaded up. Don t remember doing so? That s
because you did it without thinking. Don t remember seeing a baggage
terminal? That s because the carousel is not one in the airport, it s
the one in the mind. And the bags we grab are not made of leather;
they re made of burdens. The suitcase of guilt. A sack of
discontent. You drape a duffel bag of weariness on one shoulder and a
hanging bag of grief on the other. Add on a backpack of doubt, an
overnight bag of loneliness, and a trunk of fear. Pretty soon you re
pulling more stuff than a skycap. No wonder you re so tired at the end
of the day. Lugging luggage is exhausting. What you were saying to me,
God is saying to you, Set that stuff down! You re carrying burdens
you don t need to bear. Come unto me, he invites, all you who
are weary and have heavy burdens and I will give you rest. (Matt
11:28) If we let him, God will lighten our load...but how do we let
him? May I invite an old friend to show us? The Twenty-Third
Psalm.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in
green pastures, he leads me beside still waters, he restores my soul. He
guides me in paths of righteousness for his name s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear
no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my
head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Edition details

• Publisher: W Publishing Group
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0849912970
• ISBN 13: 9780849912979
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 220