HOLD ON
Denise Linton
Today's Scripture: “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” Psalm 55:22, NLT
Theme: Worrying about the future, and those we love, or trying to relive the past will never sustain you. Only God can do that.
WORRYING ABOUT SMALL THINGS / BIG THINGS
Everywhere I look, there are news articles, labels, blogs, and podcasts, all warning us of the dangers in everyday life. Going out in the sun is dangerous; staying inside is not good for you; red meat is bad; vegetables are better but beware of the pesticides used. It's enough to make you worry about everything you eat, drink, or do! One of the sarcastic statements I frequently make is, “Eat right, stay fit, and die anyway.” I don’t usually get a warm response for this one, but really, isn’t it pretty much true?
We spend a great deal of time worrying about so many things in our lives, from finances, friends, family, loved ones, jobs, and other people’s opinions. An old proverb says, "There is no home anywhere that does not sooner or later have its hush" (attributed to Henry Ward Beecher, an American Congregationalist clergyman of the 19th century). Sooner or later, every home, every person, every one of us, finds ourselves with burdens that seem too heavy to bear.
When my son decided to enlist in the Marines, many people asked me how I felt about that. Wasn’t I afraid for his safety? My response was, “He is in God’s hands. I have no control over what might happen. He could be a pie taster and choke on the piece he is testing.”
HOW LONG?
King David, the writer of Psalms 55, knows a thing or two about burdens. He had a lot of conflicts at different points of his life. His best friend’s dad, King Saul, was out to kill him, so David was moving around a lot, and in hiding. Later, his own son chased after him to have him killed. Two of his wives and his children were captured by enemies. His best friend, Jonathan was killed. His infant son died, and he was rejected by his group of friends. The list goes on and on. David is one of my favorite people in the Bible because I can really relate to him. Not because I have had a deranged King out to murder me, but because of the many things that he had to worry about and deal with over the course of his life. Yet David continued to cast his burdens on the Lord and continued to hold on.
In Psalms 13:1-2, David says four times in these two verses: “How long?” This tells me that things must have been pretty rough for quite a while and now he is tired of struggling. He starts to complain, cry, and feel sorry for himself. He even accuses God of forgetting about him. I am sure we have all been there before, and because the situation doesn’t make sense, we may feel like the best option is either to run away or give up. Yet this is the time when you need to double down and lean into God because God sees the bigger picture. God is bigger than any struggle or burden we have.
God wants us to come to him when we are struggling. In Matthew 11:28 (NLT), “Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.’” God is telling you to come to Him. He’s got this.
Make it Personal: Are you feeling overburdened or overwhelmed with the worries or struggles going on in your life? It might be because you have decided to put up walls and handle them all by yourself. Yet you are part of the body of Christ and it's not your job to fight those battles on your own. Casting your burdens upon the Lord means that you have decided to make God a partner in your life.
God also knows we need other people around us. God tells us that two are better than one. Ecclesiastes 4:10 (ESV) reminds us, “For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” God will put others in your path to help you hold on, to make it through. But it starts with leaning on Him and sharing with your cares and burdens. Make God a partner in your life.
Pray: Father, thank You for never leaving me. Forgive me for the times that I have put up walls and felt like I have needed to do things on my own. Forgive me for the times when I have felt You have abandoned me in my struggles. You have not forsaken me; You love me unconditionally and You see the bigger picture. Father, I want You as a partner in my life. I am casting my struggles and burdens on you. Help me to have faith in Your plans and allow You to lead. Give me the strength to hold on. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Read: Psalms 13:1-2; Matthew 11:28; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Weekly Memory Verse:
“Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you.” Psalm 37:5, NLT