Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail).
Casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.
Psalm 55:22 AMPC and 1 Peter 5:7 NASB 1977
Whatever you’re walking through today (or someone you love), I am so sorry for your pain. Your loss. Your dashed hopes. Your sense of hopelessness. Or anxious thoughts that torment you. Take a deep breath. Get level set. If you’re able, grab a cup of coffee and sit down a moment. Now, open your Bible or Bible app to Psalm 55:22 AMPC. Trace your finger across the words. These are the very words of God to you dear one. Read them out loud.
He acknowledges, that yes, you do have a burden. It hurts. It’s heavy. It’s not your imagination. Feel the pain of that raw reality. Feel the questions bubbling up in your spirit. Feel the ache. Then cast that burden upon Him. Release the weight of it into His strong arms. He’s waiting for you, to lay your burden down and leave it there.
Now, turn to 1 Peter 5:7 and do the same. Notice the reason our Lord wants us to cast our burdens and anxieties into His hands … He cares for us. For you. Astounding. We don’t pray because we’re “supposed to” or because He’ll be angry if we don’t. No. He cares for us. He knows the weight of our struggle. He knows the hopelessness we feel. Hand. It. To. Him.
Yet, even as I type the words, I am reminded of my own “casting” prayers … More times than I like to admit, I cast my burden into His hands, thank Him for taking care of it for me, and then promptly pick the burden back up. My suitcase-of-difficulty tucked neatly under my arm as I walk away with the same burden I came to release. The same burden that I cast onto Him moments before. You laugh!
Whatever your pain or the pain of someone you love, acknowledge the burden of it and then cast it into His arms, as you walk away. Leave it with Him. Knowing, “He’s got this.” Whatever the outcome, He’ll make a way. He will be faithful; He is always good. Trust Him with your pain.
“Heartache forces us to embrace God out of desperate, urgent need. God is never closer than when your heart is aching.”
– Joni Eareckson Tada
Father God, when I’m confronted with inevitable burdens of life, enable me to release the weight of those burdens into Your arms. Thank You that You care for me. For what affects me… Astounding. Thank You in advance for moving on my behalf. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
To help you on your journey, click here for a FREE pdf of the devotional, Stony Paths, learning to trust Him as we walk along the Stony Paths of real life, or to purchase a hard copy.
Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus
Devotions for Difficult Days 