Cast Your Burdens Into the Sea
Right now, as you look ahead, do you feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders? I simply want to say that in the moments when you feel as if life is pressing tight in on you, and you feel as if there is no relief in sight, you can rest assured that God is right there ready to exchange your anxiety for His peace. We often employ many stress relievers to lessen that weight we feel. But’s let’s be honest, none of them work too well. For a few minutes, a few hours, many even a few days, we feel better, but soon, that weight is back on our shoulders. That anxiety once again keeps you awake at night.
Let me offer what I believe is a better solution, one that promises a better result. It first requires you to put your trust in Jesus, giving Him control in your life.
It then requires you giving Jesus access to every aspect of your life, unrestricted entry into every room. Oh my, you say. Yes, every aspect. And trust me, that takes practice and more practice and even more practice. I am still working this out in my own life. God has much to say about this subject. Let’s dig in.
“Submit yourselves therefore to God, Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (James 4:7-8a). And, in v.10 we read – “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”
So, we are called to trust (submit) ourselves to God, turn from the world – this does not mean isolation or living in a bubble – and, in return, God draws close to us.
Let’s keep digging.
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties upon him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7).
When you see a verse begin with “therefore,” you need to ask, “what is it there for?” It requires reading the previous verse(s) to get the context. In this case, v.5 ends like this… “Clothe yourself, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’”
Now let’s dig even deeper. “Clothe yourself.” It is an infrequently used word that refers to a slave putting on an apron before serving his or her master. What I see being inferred here is that we are to imitate Jesus, who humbled himself by putting on an apron before washing the feet of His disciples (John 13:1-17). And why humility? Because, throughout scripture we are told that God’s provision of grace is to the submissive (humble) and His opposition is toward the proud. We read in Proverbs 3:34 – “Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor.”
It is also important to understand what “casting” means. The Greek word used in v.7 referenced above means “to throw upon or to place upon.” The implication of that is a game changer. We are to cast our burdens, place our burdens, throw our burdens, upon Jesus, and NOT take them back. It implies a permanent exchange!
So, right now, load up your hook with your anxiety, your weighty burdens, admit your need for Jesus to be in control of your life, and cast your line into the water, giving that anxiety, those burdens, to Him. s we often are, we are prompted to ask why. Maybe let these two passages be your answer –
“Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you” (Psalm 55:22).
And, also, right now, Jesus is whispering these hopeful words in your ear – “Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29).
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