“Behold, I am weighed down by you, as a cart full of sheaves is weighed down.” Amos 2:13

Weighed Down

When we had the siding on our house replaced, the old boards were pulled down one by one. The men worked fast; all the old stuff got thrown onto a growing pile. From watching the work progress so quickly, we surmised they would have the job done in just a day or two.

Alas, it was not to be. When they pulled the boards away from a particular corner, the men stopped and stared. A rain gutter had been dripping in that spot for years, and every bit of the wood had rotted. Not only that, but termites and mud daubers had moved in. The workers pulled off one piece of the wood and it splintered into bits. More wood came off; the mess grew. All the work we hired them to do would have to wait for repairs on the undergirding.

In today’s Scripture, Amos was prophesying that God would judge His people for their continued sinning. God Himself made the analogy of the cart. We can all relate to the difference between pulling an empty wagon and a full one—we know the difficulty of moving forward with our plans when circumstances keep weighing us down, preventing progress. “Weighed down” in this case means “totters,” or being unbalanced and ready to topple over. A cart full of sheaves would feel like that. Instead of a smooth ride, movement from place to place would be slow, bumpy, labored.

God had chosen this people—Israel—to show forth His praises. “You only have I known (chosen for a special relationship) of all the families of the earth…” (Amos 3:2). The special relationship came with special responsibilities—yet Israel was creating additional burdens and impeding God’s plan by continuing in their sins.

I love to read Scripture where God tells us how He feels, and this is one of those. Our sins slow His progress. Our “cart” is unbalanced and toppling. An unbalanced cart requires constant attention so the contents don’t spill out. The cart driver must be ever vigilant to stop and re-position the load. He must keep his eye out for every bump and rut, lest the cart tip and fall on its side. Travel is slow or stopped entirely.

The good news is that He is willing to pull that cart. He is careful to keep His eye on us, watchful lest we topple out. He is able to keep on going. He keeps us balanced by His voice in our mind and His Word in our heart, and knows how to re-position us as required. He sees the bumps and ruts ahead, and knows how to get us over or around them. A cart left on its own will not move, but a mighty driver can get it where it needs to be.

Father, may we not slow Your progress in any work You want to do. Help us to walk and work alongside You, doing what You say. Amen.