Week 17
Psalm 55:22 “Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.”
Where does one go when one does not know where to go? What can one do when one does not know what to do? Befuddled by life’s conundrums and confused by life’s complexities a person can become disoriented and immobilized. Life’s tsunami filled with tasks, duties, responsibilities, demands, and expectations can stun, overwhelm, and drown us at times. Burdens are difficult things to bear.
Added to this is the burden of sin, guilt, and shame. The sinner awakened to his plight under the wrath of God, asks himself with good reason: “Is there a safe haven for me before a righteous and holy God!” Still, further, the child of God sometimes finds himself or herself confined and restrained by life and its requirements. Many Christians carry many burdens, not all of which are their fault. So many times, we are required to carry issues and weighty matters that were forced upon us by others.
Where can we go, and to whom can we refer in such times? This is a question that should answer itself; we go to the Lord! And what do we do when we go to the Lord? We “cast” our “burden” upon Him.
The casting of burdens is a violent act with joyful results. It is violent in that we throw our burdens to the Lord as if we were casting away a disgusting item or a venomous beast. This is not a gentle toss; rather, it is a strong “throw it as far as you can” action. And we must make sure that we are casting it to the Lord, not just discarding the matter for a while only to pick it up again later. This takes courage and discipline, it takes fervor and resolve of will, but it is necessary, and it is effectual.
And what might we gain in so doing? The text says that God “will not allow the righteous to be shaken.” Burdens shake us, but God stabilizes us. Our glorious Lord is an anchor to hold us steady; He stops the shaking and gives support and security to us through His grace, which is always sufficient.
Dear friend, carry not your burden another step further; give it to the Lord. Nay, cast it upon the Lord; depend upon Him to take care of it. Put your expectation in our Lord, not in your strength. Trust in His sovereignty and wisdom, and you will find rest for your troubled mind and unsteady heart.
Prayer: Dear Lord, grant me the grace to be able to give to You my troublesome burden. This thing that weighs me down is so hard to bear; so, please give me the faith, the courage, and the determination to let go of this and give it to You. Thank You for Your promises to me in Christ. I trust in You alone. Amen.