.....burden

Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you Psalm 55:22

A poor man in Ireland was plodding along toward home, carrying a huge bag of potatoes. A horse and wagon finally drew up alongside him on the road, and the driver invited the man to climb aboard. After getting on the wagon, he sat down but continued to hold the heavy bag.

When the driver suggested that the man set the bag down in the wagon, he replied, "I don't want to trouble you too much, sir. You are giving me a ride already, so I'll just carry the potatoes."

"How foolish of him!" we might say. Yet sometimes we do the same thing when we attempt to bear the burdens of our lives in our own strength. No wonder we become weary and overwhelmed with anxiety and fear.

In Psalm 55, David spoke of the anxiety he felt because his enemies were attacking him Psalm 55:1-15. But then he gave his concerns to the Lord and was filled with renewed hope and confidence Psalm 55:16-23. That's why he could write, "Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you" Psalm 55:22.

When you recall the story of the man and his bag of potatoes, remember the simple lesson it illustrates: Rather than trying to bear your burdens by yourself, set them down in God's hands. 

"God invites us to burden Him with what burdens us."

- henry g. bosch