Cast your burden on the Lord
“16 As for me, I call to God,
and the Lord saves me.
17 Evening, morning and noon
I cry out in distress,
and he hears my voice.
18 He rescues me unharmed
from the battle waged against me,
even though many oppose me.
19 God, who is enthroned from of old,
who does not change—
he will hear them and humble them,
because they have no fear of God.
20 My companion attacks his friends;
he violates his covenant.
21 His talk is smooth as butter,
yet war is in his heart;
his words are more soothing than oil,
yet they are drawn swords.
22 Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you;
he will never let
the righteous be shaken.
23 But you, God, will bring down the wicked
into the pit of decay;
the bloodthirsty and deceitful
will not live out half their days.
But as for me, I trust in you.”
The Psalms are a very important book in our faith life because they contain the various emotions and situations we experience in life. Joy and gratitude, sorrow and lament, hope and despair—all of our emotions are expressed as confessions of faith directed toward God.
The Psalm we read today is particularly a psalm of David, who expresses trust in God amidst worry and lament. He cries out to God as he faces evil forces and the injustices of the world.
We may experience similar situations in our lives. Sometimes the world seems unjust, and it looks like evil people are succeeding. People may betray us, and our expectations might be shattered. In such moments, we are bound to feel disappointed and discouraged.
Psalm 55:22 says, "Cast your cares on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken." We can cast our burdens, worries, and concerns on God. The essence of faith lies in understanding who God is and how we regard Him. It’s about looking beyond the injustices and hardships of the world to God, who is sovereign over them. It is not about ignoring or denying the problems of reality, but about bringing them to God and confessing our trust in Him.
Today, let us cast all our burdens upon God. He hears our prayers and knows our worries. When injustice occurs in our lives, when people betray us, and when our hearts are broken, we must turn to God. As we reflect on all that Jesus bore on the cross, let us lay down our burdens before Him and offer ourselves to the victory achieved through His death. If you are carrying a burden today, entrust it to God. He will sustain you.
Prayer: We find that the confession ‘Cast your burden on the Lord.’ is David’s command to his own soul, a declaration of faith. Even amidst doubt, skepticism, the evil of the world, and discouragement, David found peace, courage, and praise by trusting in God and casting his burdens upon Him. We hope to experience the same peace and strength in our lives today. As we lay our burdens on the Lord of the cross, may we entrust all authority to the God who loves us, leads us on the path of righteousness, and will judge the world with truth and justice.
(Note: This summary was created based on an AI draft.)
Devotional content is available on the Our Daily Bread website.