By Paul

Read: Numbers 16:41-18:32, Mark 16:1-20, Psalm 55:1-23, Proverbs 11:7

Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.
Psalm 55:22

Relate:
In the Bible, there are many examples of people casting their burdens to the Lord. One such instance is when David fought Goliath, the giant. Another example is when the Apostle Paul was imprisoned multiple times. The examples go on and on, but they all share one thing in common: putting their faith in the Lord and knowing that He will provide for them.

React:
In desperate times, even the strongest of human beings would collapse under the pressure of their burdens—whether they are financial issues, relationship problems, or suffering from depression and more. David, the author of “Palms,” fully understands that there are times when we cannot carry these burdens alone. Giving our burdens to the Lord means fully entrusting ourselves to Him, knowing that no matter what happens, the Lord will still be in charge. The earlier text suggests that David was betrayed by one of his friends and wrote this psalm in his distress. David had just been betrayed by “his companion and close friend,” someone he would never expect to betray him—a person whom he thought he could trust. Even in his distress, David still trusted the Lord, willing to put his faith in Him. He sets a great example for us in handling earthly burdens.

On the other hand, trusting in the Lord does not make one immune to hardships; rather, Jesus tells us in John 16:33 that there will still be hardships in the world. But take heart because God will eventually overcome them for us. Believing in Jesus does not guarantee an easy life for Christians, as they will always be the minority in the world and must enter through the narrow gate. Despite the circumstances, we know that the Lord will be with us because He promised not to permit the godly to slip and fall. Therefore, if we entrust ourselves to the Lord and put our faith in Him, He will send a hedge of protection over us. It is also important to understand that the Lord’s plan is always better than ours. He knows everything that will happen, so in hard times when there seems to be no hope and it feels like the Lord has forsaken us, we can still believe in and trust the Lord to have a better plan for us.

Respond:

Dear God,
Thank you for providing for us, giving us life, offering us air to breathe, water to drink, and food to eat. Thank you for meeting our needs. We also acknowledge that in desperate times of distress, when the night seems endless, you remain there for us, continuing to provide. No matter what, your light will shine amidst the darkness—our hope, our redemption, You. In our darkest hour, when all seems lost and hope appears absent, You will still be there for us, holding us up, protecting us from all dangers. Thank you, Lord.
Amen