1.
Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.
2.
Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;
3.
Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.
4.
My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
5.
Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.
6.
And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.
7.
Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah.
8.
I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.
9.
Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
10.
Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.
11.
Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.
12.
For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:
13.
But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.
14.
We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.
15.
Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.
16.
As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.
17.
Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.
18.
He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me.
19.
God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.
20.
He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant.
21.
The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.
22.
Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
A BURDEN-BEARING GOD
‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee.’
Psalms 55:22
A great part of the burden of daily life is the sin that is in it. Take out the sin, and there will not be much burden left.
I. As regards those common burdens which every one bears, God says, ‘Cast thy burden on the Lord.’—It is very difficult to sympathise with one another’s burdens; and of course each, knowing only his own, thinks his own the heaviest. Christ alone can sympathise with all. But your burden is the one main thing you have to do with, suited for present discipline, a selected, ordained, adjusted thing—‘thy burden.’ Leave the balancing, and trust the Balancer.
II. What is casting?—It needs an effort to believe. It needs an effort to do the first step; it needs an effort to make it once and for ever. What is the way? (1) Take loving views of Jesus—of His sympathy, His nearness, His power, His undertakings, His interest, personal, in you. (2) Open to Him your whole heart, not the burden only, but what surrounds it. (3) Do not go back to your own castings. Put them too far away for that.
III. Observe how the Lord deals with cast burdens.—He does not say, ‘I will take away thy burden,’ but ‘I will sustain thee.’ To this end He will unite Himself to you more closely, so that, just as the ivy on the rock, you will both borrow a strength from the rock not your own and pass on to the rock the pressure that you feel. He will be ‘your arm every morning,’ on which leaning you cannot faint. He will feed you with such hidden manna that you will grow so strong that you can carry anything.
Rev. James Vaughan.
Illustration
(1) ‘Ask for a few definite things. It may be that they will number five or ten. (2) Be particular and definite in making each request. (3) Stop for a little after each, and consider that God has heard and assumed the responsibility with respect to it. (4) Stay your soul upon a promise. (5) Look up into His face and say: “It is as good as done, and I thank Thee.” (6) You may have to wait till the opportune moment arrives, when God can entrust you with the answer, but it is yours. (7) Cease to worry about it, but often look into God’s face, and say: “Father, I know that it is all right, I am reckoning and trusting.” ’
23.
But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.