This was the verse that I read this morning and I thought,
how appropriate because I just spent a somewhat restless night due to “worry”
or not being able to turn off my mind from thinking, which is often the same
thing for me.
So I thought I’d do a little digging deeper and here is some
of what I found:
First off this is a command, not just an exhortation or
something optional. It is to be the habitual
practice of a believer to not worry.
Paul is not saying that there are not reasons to worry, but he is saying
that believers are to avoid this subtle and debilitating sin - because worry is
a sin. Nor does this mean we are to look
at life through rose-colored glasses, that we are not to face reality? No. Paul
says that we are to worry about nothing because we are to pray
about everything.
Worry is undue care and is an intrusion into God's arena. It
makes us the father of the household instead of being a child. (D Guzik)
Vine adds that anxiety harasses the
soul; it enfeebles, irritates, ruffles the temper, is a sign of mistrust and of
failing obedience, and distracts the mind from communion with God.
From the spiritual point of view, worry is wrong
thinking (the mind) and wrong feeling (the heart)
about circumstances, people, and things. Worry is the greatest
thief of joy. It is not enough for us, however, to tell ourselves
to “quit worrying” because that will never capture the thief. Worry is
an “inside job,” and it takes more than good intentions to get the victory.
So how do I avoid worry:
The antidote to worry is the secure
mind: “And the peace of God... shall keep [garrison, guard like a soldier]
your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (
Phil. 4:7).
When you have the secure mind, the peace of God guards you (
Phil. 4:7)
and the God of peace guides you (
Phil. 4:9).
With that kind of protection—why worry? (
Wiersbe,
W)
Barnes adds
that Paul "does not mean that we are to exercise no care about
worldly matters - no care to preserve our property, or to provide for our families
(1Ti 5:8);
but that there is to be such confidence in God as to free the mind from
anxiety, and such a sense of dependence on him as to keep it calm.
Cast (in Hebrew = a command) your burden upon
the LORD (releasing the weight of if) and He will sustain you. He will never allow
the righteous to be shaken. (
Ps 55:22)
I found the following by W Wiersbe writing
on
Psalm
55:22 to be helpful
This promise tells us that Christians do have burdens. David
is not talking about concern for others, although it's good to bear one
another's burdens. Instead, he means the burdens that the Lord allows each one
of us to bear. One translation reads, "Cast what he has given thee upon
the Lord." Burdens are not accidents but appointments. The burdens you
have in your life today are what God has ordained for you--unless they are the
result of your own rebellious sin against Him. Burdens help us grow; they help
us exercise the muscles of our faith. They teach us how to trust God and live a
day at a time. This promise also tells us that we can cast these burdens on the
Lord. Peter said, "Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for
you" (notes
1 Peter 5:7). The
Lord gives us the burden, and then He says,
"Now give that burden back to Me. But don't stop there;
give Me yourself as well."
If we try to give Him our burdens without giving Him ourselves,
He really can't help us. It's like stepping onto an elevator with many heavy
packages and failing to put them down on the floor until you reach your
destination. Let the elevator carry both you and your packages. Notice that the
verse doesn't say He'll keep you from problems all the time. He's going to use
problems to build your character. But he'll make sure the righteous will not be
moved. Cast your burden on the Lord. Let Him sustain you today. Giving your
burden to God is an act of faith. But giving yourself to Him and letting Him
use that burden to help you grow is taking an extra step of faith. He will
invest that burden in building your character. Give your burdens to the Lord
today.
