PEACE IN THE STORM
Cast your burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. Psalm 55:22
The other day, I had the great privilege of meeting with a very special lady and her wonderful husband. Linda has been battling breast cancer for the last few months. She has experienced all the fear that naturally accompanies being told the terrible news, “You have cancer.” But Linda did not remain fearful for long.
Soon after getting this devastating news, Linda and her husband took their burden to the Lord. They told Him it was too great for them to carry. They cried out to Him for mercy, grace, and healing. They cast the burden of this breast cancer at His feet. Since that day, they have had tremendous peace in the midst of the storm.
THE SECRET TO EXPERIENCING PEACE IN THE STORM
Why is it that Linda and her husband are experiencing such tremendous peace and other people facing heavy burdens are not? What is the secret to experiencing peace in the midst of a great storm?
Cast your burden on the Lord and LEAVE IT with Him. While many people know about casting their burden on the Lord, few really do it for very long. Our tendency is to pray about a problem… give it to the Lord, so to speak… and then take it back as soon as we say, “Amen.” We let the Lord see our burden, but our tendency is to never really leave it with Him. That formula never produces peace.
MY TAXES
I used to do all my own personal accounting. When tax time rolled around, I was busy gathering receipts and checking facts and figures. It was a stressful time making sure all was done correctly. It was my burden and my responsibility. When I acquired the services of a skilled, trustworthy CPA, however, the burden of correctly filling out my tax returns was transferred from my shoulders to her shoulders. No longer was I sweating due dates, checking and rechecking figures. I was enjoying life, leaving the burden of the tax forms to her. What a freeing experience!
Now it would be really foolish for me to hire Debra, my CPA, to do my taxes… and then go to her office each day to work on them too. She knows LOTS more than I do about taxes… and she is honest as the day is long and sharp as a tack. The wise, peace-producing move is to let her do her job.
God knows LOTS more about burdens than we do. He has all power and all authority. The wise move is to take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there with Him. He can be trusted with the worst of situations.
BUT I AM SO WORRIED!
How can you tell if you have picked your burden back up again? It is easy. If you are worried and bothered over your burden, you have taken it back. Once you cast it on the Lord, it is His problem, His worry, not yours. The moment worry and fear creep in, recognize what you have done – reclaimed the burden – and pray immediately, giving it all back to Jesus.
If you and I are going to experience the Lord’s great peace, we need to learn to cast our heavy burdens on Him and leave them at His feet. We were not made to carry heavy burdens. That is His job. Will you let Him do His job?
Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve,
From His Heart Ministries
