Psalm 55:22 (NKJV) Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22 (NIV) Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall. INTRODUCTION Troubles around him (vv 1-3), terrors within him (vv 4-5), and treachery next to him (vv. 12-15, 21) combined to make David wish he could get away from it all (v. 6). It was not easy being God's anointed king, for with the privileges came great burdens and responsibilities, and God's enemies became David's enemies. Leadership is not easy. David wanted wings like a dove so he could fly away from the storm. What he really needed were wings like an eagle so he could fly above the storm (Isa. 40:31). How do you get them? By going into the Holy of Holies, under the shadow of His wings (Psa. 57:1; 91:1-4). When you call on the Lord v. 16) and cast your burdens on Him v. 22), He enables you to overcome. You cannot fly beyond the storm because you will find problems everywhere, but you can fly above the storm. God permits the burdens you face today to help you "win your wings." Claim verse 22 and 1 Peter 5:7. [Chapter by Chapter Bible Commentary by Warren Wiersbe re Psa. 55] COMMENTARY PEARL At some point in each life, grief comes to call. When it happens to you, take your burden to God. How does God help us cope with grief? First, He assures us of His presence. We are never alone if we know Christ; He lives within us by His Spirit. Even when you don't feel His presence, it doesn't change the fact that He is with you every moment of the day (Isaiah 4 1:10). He also assures us of His promises. Read them, learn them, memorize them, trust them, and let them grow and bear fruit in your soul. Shortly after Ruth's death, I leafed through one of her old Bibles. She had underlined hundreds of verses, often adding a brief comment of her own in the margin. She especially had underlined passages in the Psalms that spoke of God's promise to be with us in times of hardship or sorrow or loneliness. In the midst of your grief, turn daily to God's Word, and let its promises encourage and sustain you. Which promise of God sustains you the most in times of sadness? [Peace for Each Day by Billy Graham] COMMENTARY Christ specified the things that are dangerous to the soul. As recorded by Mark He mentions the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things. Luke specifies the cares, riches, and pleasures of this life. These are what choke the word, the growing spiritual seed. The soul ceases to draw nourishment from Christ, and spirituality dies. Christ cannot carry their burden, because they do not cast it upon Him. Therefore the cares of life, which should drive them to the Saviour for help and comfort, separate them from Him. COL51,2 Let the soul be drawn out and upward, that God may grant us a breath of the heavenly atmosphere. We may keep so near to God that in every unexpected trial our thoughts will turn to Him as naturally as the flower turns to the sun Keep your wants, your joys, your sorrows, your cares, and your fears before God. You cannot burden Him; you cannot weary Him. Take to Him everything that perplexes the mind. Nothing is too great for Him to bear, for He holds up worlds, He rules over all the affairs of the universe. There is no chapter in our experience too dark for Him to read; there is no perplexity too difficult for Him to unravel. SC99-101 ILLUSTRATIONS Stresses That Fracture Stress: that confusion created when one's mind overrides the body's desire to choke the living daylights out of some jerk who desperately needs it. No, you won't find that definition in the dictionary, but right now, I think it should be. It's been one of those weeks. Know what I mean? Overcommitment. Deadlines. Unrealized expectations. People problems. A stack of phone calls to return. A couple of major interruptions. Not to mention an enormous bill from the vet after he treated our dog, telling us she has some profound, exotic inner itch or something. My in-box resembles the Leaning Tower and then one of my grandsons asks innocently, "Bubba, how come you yell when you talk?" On top of all that I receive a six-page letter from a pious soul who feels "led of God" to correct my position on the day Christ died, my too-liberal view of eschatology, and my extravagance for owning two cars. Page after page. From a guy who doesn't even know me. I know, I know. I should "turn the other cheek." I really ought to "see the good in it." On some other day I'd probably not give his words a second thought. But when you suffer from stress fractures, the soft cushion of tolerance gets deflated, leaving nerves raw and feelings bloody. A recent Sports Illustrated article painted a vivid picture: "A stress fracture begins when the shocks and strains of playing game after game create microscopic cracks in the outer layers of bone - usually in the legs and feet. If the pounding continues and those tiny crevices, which often go undetected, aren't allowed to heal, they can enlarge. When the cracks become large enough to cause pain, they are stress fractures." Stress fractures aren't limited to athletes. Microscopic cracks in bones are painful, but can they match the hurt of a stress-fractured spirit an aching heart? That's a pain like none other, isn't it? It's deep. It throbs. It lingers in the day and haunts you through the night. So, what do we do to stop the pounding? Ah, that's the question. "Lighten up" is a start. Try not to make a federal case out of everything that happens. Then, laugh more. Admit those imperfections. Let some stuff go. Don't try to be Wonder Woman or the all-powerful Mr. Fix-It. Above all, turn it over to God. Tell Him everything. He has no problem hearing about our hurts. Furthermore, He can keep any secret you tell Him. He can even handle it when you yell. As the pounding lessens, so will the pain. Don't let stress fracture you. [Chuck Swindoll www.insight.org.] You Never Let Go Our dog, Flash, is cross between a Jack Russell terrier and a Chihuahua. He is cute and fast and loves to play. He loves it when you throw him the ball. He just has one problem. Once he brings the ball back to you, he won't let it go. You can tell he wants to give it to you as he nudges it toward you. But as soon as you try and pick it up, he snatches it and growls. Then he looks at you, as if to say, "Why aren't you playing with me?' The dog has issues. So do I. That is probably why I like him so much. I am just like Flash, who worries over his toy, constantly moving it around, never taking his eyes off it. This is what I do with my problems. I cannot let them go. I keep thinking about them, feeling sick to my stomach. All the while, my eyes are on Jesus and I am saying, "Why aren't You doing anything about this? I keep bringing it to You.' I bring my problem to Him. But I forget to let it go. I forget to say, "I would like You to take care of this, so I am placing it in Your hands." When we pray, we are "tossing the ball.' Laying our worries, our cares, our dreams at the feet of Jesus. But it is only when we have emptied our hearts and minds of our worries that He can fill us up with His overwhelming peace that passes all understanding. - Susanna Foth Aughtmon Faith Step: Picture yourself throwing your "ball" of worries into the sky. Release them to Jesus's care and ask Him to fill you with His overwhelming peace. [Mornings With Jesus 2019 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan re Phil. 4:6, 7] ONE-LINERS: Convert your worry time into prayer time. [God's Little Devotional Bible re Psa.46:10] When you feel you just can't take it anymore.....Take it to the Lord! Pastor Larson LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY Psalm 55:22 - Cast Your Burden On The LORD, And He Shall Sustain You. http://www.abible.com/devotions/2015/20150312-1916.html Galatians 6:2 - Sharing Our Burdens. http://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230327-0915.html LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT https://abible.com/links/