“Cast your burden on the Lord [release it] and He will sustain and uphold you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken (slip, fall, fail)… But I will [boldly and unwaveringly] trust in You.”
Psalms 55:22-23 AMP
There’s a song that Brandon Lake leads with Cory Asbury that I like on YouTube. In the bridge, Brandon Lake sings, “bye bye fear, you can’t stay here, look where I’m standing…” While it’s not a worship song, the lyrics are what popped into my head today with today’s reading.
In the passage above, David pens a message to those with him to cast – throw out, down, or away, pluck or hurl – their yᵉhâb – meaning properly, what is given (by Providence), i.e. a lot:—burden.
This particular word, found 4 times in the Old Testament, is translated into “burden” only once in the Bible – here.
A burden given by providence gave me pause. Not just my daily worries, fears, and anxieties- but the “big” stuff. Chronic pain, chronic illness, trauma, abuse, the “stuff” that plagues my thoughts and sometimes my physical body day after day.
We often hear that we carry “baggage” with us into relationships – and to an extent, I’ve believed it. I’ve carried hurt and trauma around like a trophy at times. I’ve felt saddled by my past because others reminded me of it often, seeing me through the lens of my failures, sin, shame, and pain – and not the lens of the Truth – forgiven, healed, beloved. And their rejection became the lot I felt was my portion for many years.
Sometime over the past few years, G-d healed and released me from my burden and “casting” it off, plucking it out of my heart, came in layers – bits and pieces at a time, until one day, I realized it was gone.
Sometimes it takes bold, unwavering trust to release it to Him after carrying it for so long. It did for me at least. In order to take hold – fully take hold – of all He has for me, I have to loosen my grip from the burden so I have two free hands to embrace all He has in store for me. Whatever the burden, may we have the courage to trust Him completely, allowing Him to uphold and sustain us wherever we are.
Father – thank You for Your promise and comfort. Thank You for Your healing touch. Thank You for Your love. You are good. Your leadership in my life is perfect and You can be trusted. Amen.
Daily Reading: Psalms 3-4, 12-13, 28, 55