Part 3: Casting Our Burdens On The Lord

WHAT TO DO WITH LIFE'S BURDENS

Part 3: Casting Our Burdens on the Lord

Text: Psalm 55:4-8, 22; 1 Peter 5:7

Over the past weeks, we have studied how we are called to bear one another's burdens and how each person must bear his own burden of responsibility in God's kingdom. Today we complete our study by examining the third type of burden mentioned in Scripture - those that we must cast upon the Lord.

To review:

The Three Types of Burdens

Burdens we share. Burdens we carry. Burdens we release.

The Balance of Burden-Bearing

These three principles work together beautifully:

Some burdens we share with others (spiritual struggles)

Some burdens we carry ourselves (personal responsibilities)

Some burdens we release to God (uncontrollable circumstances)

Wisdom lies in knowing which type of burden we're facing and responding according to God's Word.

CASTING OUR BURDENS ON THE LORD

Psalm 55:22 says, "Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." (See also Psalm 55:4-8.)

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.

Context for verse 22 - Psalm 55:4–8 “4 My heart is severely pained within me, And the terrors of death have fallen upon me. 5 Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, And horror has overwhelmed me. 6 So I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. 7 Indeed, I would wander far off, And remain in the wilderness. Selah 8 I would hasten my escape From the windy storm and tempest.””

Obviously, the two types of burdens we have studied previously are not to be cast upon the Lord. Here the Scripture deals with an entirely different type of burden.

1. The Third Type of Burden

In this context, burden comes from the Hebrew word

yehab, which means what is given by providence and ascribed to us as our lot or burden.

The burdens that David spoke of are ones over which we have no control.

Often the bearer does not understand them. (Job)

They can be spiritual or physical.

In many cases, they are humanly impossible to bear but at the same time they cannot be avoided or escaped. They often cannot be removed from our life.

Examples of Providence Burdens

These burdens include:

Sickness and disease

Death of loved ones

Tragedy and loss

Loss of limbs, hearing, or sight

Financial disaster

Broken homes

Wayward children

A child with mental retardation or serious illness

Persecution

Incapacitating injuries

There is an endless list of life's taxing burdens that fall into this category.

2. Our Response to Uncontrollable Burdens

Burdens of this nature can make us unhappy, tormented, and bitter if we are not careful.

To avoid this, we must cast these burdens upon the Lord.

Cast these burdens upon the Lord.

Refusing to allow bitterness, doubt, anger, or hurt to dominate our spirit,

If we find ourselves in a situation such as this, we must refuse to allow bitterness, doubt, anger, or hurt to dominate our spirit.

In such times, we should cling to the words of Peter: "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you" (1 Peter 5:7).

1 Peter 5:7 NKJV

7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

3. God's Promise to Sustain

When we cast our care and burdens on the Lord, He sustains us (Psalm 55:22).

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.

To sustain means to: keep in existence, maintain, keep going, keep supplied with necessities, carry the weight or burden of, strengthen the spirit, comfort, and encourage.

There are two ways in which God can sustain us. We should be submissive regardless of the method He chooses.

4. Method 1: Remove the Burden

This is the method we most often desire.

God can and often uses this method of sustaining us; it is by far the easiest for us when He chooses to do so.

Here are some examples:

The cup passes from us.

We are healed of sickness or infirmity.

Our persecutor is taken out of the way, as Herod was.

Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, thus alleviating the family's sorrow.

God healed Job, gave him a family again, and restored his wealth.

5. Method 2: Help Us Bear the Burden

Although this is difficult for us, it is often not God's will to remove from us the burden we are bearing. God's abiding promise remains the same even in these times—He will sustain us.

Here are some examples:

God preserved the New Testament church in persecution.

The cup was not removed from Jesus, but an angel did strengthen Him.

Paul's thorn was not removed, but God gave him grace.

In temptation, God makes a way of escape, that we may be able to bear it.

6. Our Responsibilities During Trials

We should never doubt or question God's sustaining methods, for His promises are yes and amen, and He abides faithful.

David outlined seven personal responsibilities of the believer in such times (Psalm 37:1-37):

We are to trust in the Lord and do good (verse 3)

We are to delight ourselves in the Lord (verse 4)

Pamper or refresh.

We are to commit our way unto the Lord (verse 5)

We are to rest in the Lord (verse 7)

We are to cease from anger (verse 8)

We are to wait upon the Lord (verse 34)

We are to mark the perfect person and behold the upright (verse 37)

Psalm 37:1–37 NKJV

1 Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. 3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. 6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. 7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. 8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm. 9 For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth. 10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more. 11 But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. 12 The wicked plots against the just, And gnashes at him with his teeth. 13 The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming. 14 The wicked have drawn the sword And have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay those who are of upright conduct. 15 Their sword shall enter their own heart, And their bows shall be broken. 16 A little that a righteous man has Is better than the riches of many wicked. 17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, But the Lord upholds the righteous. 18 The Lord knows the days of the upright, And their inheritance shall be forever. 19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. 20 But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the Lord, Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away. 21 The wicked borrows and does not repay, But the righteous shows mercy and gives. 22 For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, But those cursed by Him shall be cut off. 23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way. 24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand. 25 I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread. 26 He is ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed. 27 Depart from evil, and do good; And dwell forevermore. 28 For the Lord loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off. 29 The righteous shall inherit the land, And dwell in it forever. 30 The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, And his tongue talks of justice. 31 The law of his God is in his heart; None of his steps shall slide. 32 The wicked watches the righteous, And seeks to slay him. 33 The Lord will not leave him in his hand, Nor condemn him when he is judged. 34 Wait on the Lord, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it. 35 I have seen the wicked in great power, And spreading himself like a native green tree. 36 Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found. 37 Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; For the future of that man is peace.

5. God's Complete Plan

As we conclude our three-part study, we see God's complete plan for handling life's burdens:

Bear one another's burdens - Support those struggling with spiritual failure

Bear your own burden - Accept personal responsibility in God's kingdom

Cast your burdens on the Lord - Release uncontrollable circumstances to God

The darkness of the night cannot hide us from the seeking hand of life's burdens (Job 3:1-10).

Yet God has a preplanned, prewritten, time-tested formula for handling life's burdens. Applying His principles makes life's burdens manageable through Him.

May we implement all three principles in our lives, knowing that God's grace is sufficient for every burden we may face.