Cast Your Burdens

 Are you weighed down by life? Is the load you are bearing too heavy? Does it feel like life is caving in on you? If any of those are true, you are not alone. Life is overwhelming for a lot of people right now. There are health concerns, financial pressures, addictions to overcome, wayward children and grandchildren to reign in, and mental health issues that can be crippling. Sometimes it feels like too much. 

If you are there I want to remind you of Psalms 55:22, "Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken." NASU The word cast in that verse means to throw off. That does not mean that we just shirk responsibility. It means that we throw off these burdens that oppress us. We lay them at the feet of God and ask Him to help us manage them. We ask God to lighten our load. We trust Him for strength to endure the trials. We rely on His peace that surpasses all understanding to guard our mental health so we do not sink into debilitating depression. 

Casting burdens is a full time job. The burdens keep piling up. The load gets heavier. The pressure intensifies. The stress increases. If we do not keep casting those burdens on the Lord it becomes more difficult to cope. This is when people start looking for an escape. In some scenarios, people turn to substance abuse only to find, instead of things getting better, it only gets worse. Others try sexual immorality through affairs, pornography, or sexual misconduct. This only makes things get worse also. Some as a last resort turn to suicide. Unable to cope with the burdens and trials they just want a way out. Suicide is permanent solution to temporary problems. The best solution is to cast those burdens, pressures, and stresses on God. 

It is like a stronger person carrying a heavy object for a weaker person. The weight of the object does not change. The stronger person gives aid and relief for the weaker person. God is the stronger person. Strong enough to carry all our burdens collectively. We let God do the heavy lifting we can't do. Imagine how much lighter life can become when you do this. 

When Brenda and I first moved here, we actually stayed in Claude for two months in a one room efficiency apartment. We commuted the 45-minute drive normally seven days a week. She could not find a job as we looked for a place to live. We cast that burden on God. We chose to let God work out the details so we did not have to worry. We prayed a lot. That did not mean that we did not contact a realtor or that Brenda quit applying for jobs. We cast our burden so we did not live under the stress of worry. After two months, everything fell into place. We qualified for a loan based on our single income, we found a house we loved, and closed on the home and moved in it last June. One of the many great features is that we live one minute driving time from the church we serve. We still have a mortgage, had to move furniture, unpack boxes, and make the house a home. The whole process did not stress us or overwhelm us. We laid all of it at the feet of God daily and watched Him work out the details.

Cast your many burdens on the Lord. Keep casting them on Him daily. You will keep peace of mind in doing this. You just might sleep better and rediscover hope. With hope comes peace. All from casting our burdens on the Lord.