Scripture Reading:

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved.” – Psalm 55:22 (ESV)

Baggage Claims

Picture yourself at the airport baggage carousel. A torn-up, heavy, overstuffed suitcase rolls toward you. It’s taped together, leaking, and looks like it’s been through a war. You look down at the tag… and it has your name on it. That bag represents your past—rejection, betrayal, trauma, unresolved conflict, words that cut too deep. And whether we realize it or not, we carry that baggage into every relationship, workplace, church, and new season.

The problem isn’t just that the bag is heavy—it’s that it’s dangerous. Hebrews 12:15 warns us about the “bitter root” that grows when pain or unforgiveness is left unchecked. What we don’t deal with doesn’t disappear. It grows, spreads, and eventually hurts not just us, but those around us.

Like airport security, God invites us to “open the bag” with Him. He gently asks:

• “Who told you that you weren’t enough?”
• “What lie did you pack away and carry as truth?”
• “What pain are you dragging into your next season that I never meant for you to carry?”

And here’s the truth: heavy baggage will always be over the weight limit.

You cannot move forward freely while clinging to old offenses, guilt, or shame. At some point, you’ll hear God say: “You’re over the limit. You’re going to have to let some things go.” The good news? You don’t have to carry it anymore. Jesus stands at the baggage claim with you. When that heavy suitcase comes around with your name on it, He reaches for it, scarred hands steady, and says: “That’s yours, but I died for it. You don’t have to carry it anymore. I’ll take it from here.”

Isaiah 53:4 reminds us: “It was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down.” That’s the gospel. He doesn’t just point out our baggage—He carries it. He doesn’t just weigh it—He removes it. He doesn’t just expose the wounds—He heals them.

Reflection Questions

1. What “baggage” have you been carrying that God never intended you to?
2. Have you mistaken your pain or shame as something you must live with instead of surrender?
3. What would it look like today to let Jesus take that suitcase from your hands?

Prayer

Jesus, You know every bag I’ve been carrying. The hidden hurts, the silent struggles, the weight I’ve normalized. Today I surrender it to You. Take what I was never meant to hold. Heal what I cannot fix. Break the cycle of bitterness, shame, and fear, and replace it with Your peace and freedom. Thank You for carrying my baggage to the cross. Amen.

Action Step

Take a quiet moment today to name one piece of baggage you’ve been carrying—a hurt, grudge, or fear. Write it down, then pray and symbolically release it by tearing up the paper, leaving it at the cross of Jesus.