A GOOD REMINDER
Psalm 55:22 NKJV
22 Cast your burden on the Lord,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.
This is another psalm from David. I love the psalms and really appreciate the ones that David penned. Maybe it's the way he pours out his heart before God. Or how he despairs then adjusts. David gives us a great pattern for prayer. In this psalm, he is lamenting the betrayal of a friend. This was something that David experienced in his own life when some of his leadership team turned against him and went with Absalom.
David expresses his pain, but one of the things I value in David's psalms is how he pivots to a place of confidence in God. He declares in verses 16-19 that God will hear and save him. That God will redeem him in peace from the battle that was against him. David has such a great confidence in God. He may start off complaining, but gets to rejoicing, which is such a good pattern for us to follow.
In our verse for today, David gives us a great reminder. We can cast our burden on the Lord, and He will sustain us. This seems to be a thought that David inserted into this psalm. He had just finished talking about how a man was not being truthful and trying to deceive with his words. And then it's, Oh yeah, cast your burden upon the Lord. Regardless of where this verse is placed in the psalm, it's a standout verse. This is a message to us. We can cast our burden. We don't use those words as much anymore, but we do understand taking our problems and pain and giving them to the Lord. The word 'burden' is translated as cares and literally, what has been given. What has been given to you in life that is wearing you down?
This can not mean what has been given to you by the Lord. Why would He give you something that you give back to Him? No, He is not the giver of burdens and cares. He is the sustainer of those who give their cares to Him. I like the NLT version of this verse, "Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall."
APPLICATION
So how do you give your burdens and cares to the Lord? This has to be done by faith. You believe that God wants you to give your cares to Him. That's the first thing. Then, in prayer, you take before the Lord the things that are weighing you down and give them to Him, asking for His help. Then comes the fight of faith where you believe that God has heard you and has taken your cares. You believe that He is sustaining you and helping you stand. Spoiler alert: your feelings may not go along with this and may protest. But you are a believer, and you trust the Lord who is helping you. Now you can thank Him and give Him praise for His help before you see anything change.
This process takes practice but is doable. Don't wait until the new year starts; go ahead and start now. God is faithful.
PRAYER
Lord, I am so glad You care for me and are willing to take my cares. I give them to You. Thank You for helping and sustaining me.