“Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you.” Psalm 55:22 NLT
“If you will, God will.”
My thoughts today are about “if.”
If is such a small word, but upon such a small hinge swings so many huge possibilities. If usually introduces the grandest of dreams, as well as precedes the greatest of regrets. The word suggests something that essentially determines what will or will not follow. Innumerable times this otherwise insignificant word prefaces great opportunity (John 7:37-39 NIV/Romans 8:31 NLT), or stern warning (Mark 11:26 NKJV). Check out your Bible concordance to see how repeatedly the word occurs in the Bible.
The first words that came to my mind when I read today’s verse – “Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you” – presented a qualification best voiced in this way: “If you will, God will!” There are things that God can do, and wants to do for you, that require a prior step of your own obedience and faith. An honored senior minister and friend of many years to me, Holman, often quoted this, “If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land.” Isaiah 1:19 NIV. He always put strong emphasis on God’s clear condition – if!
I don’t think God usually does so many things for you; I find that God loves to do remarkable things with you. Is there anything that you are waiting for God to do – and He seems to be taking far too long doing that! – while He may actually be waiting on you? Have you checked lately? Don’t think that by delaying your willingness and/or obedience that God will stop waiting on you and do it for you anyway.
Consider a different side to this. Is there anything you are trying to do on your own without fully depending on God? Let me posture today’s verse a little differently, like this, “(If you don’t) give your burdens to the Lord, (how can) He take care of you?” You may think you have given the burden to God, but why then do you still struggle beneath the weight and worry of it. As long as you are holding your burdens, you are at least partially withholding your burdens from His hands and yourself from His care. “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 NIV. Let it go; let God have it, and see what He can do.
My prayer for you today is: let God take care of you, continually and completely.