It is 2 AM.
Imagine you are laying there tossing and turning unable to shut your eyes. But your mind is churning like an active volcano, spewing out thoughts like…
A Listening Heart
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- Will life ever return to normal?
- Should the kids go back to school? What if it is not safe and they get sick?
- If school and work don’t reopen in the fall, how will we provide, and juggle work with homeschooling again?
If you are a parent or grandparent with school-age children, these questions resonate with you.
And if you are a college student, you remember what it was like to hang out with friends on campus in previous semesters. Now your concern is whether to live on campus in the fall or go to school online.
The uncertainties of the pandemic and its effect on life, jobs, economy, and health are real. It is causing us worry, anxiety, and sleeplessness. Let’s face it, as long as you and I are alive, we will have things that keep us awake at night. If it is not one thing, it will be something else. It is part of living and we cannot wish it away.
What cares are you carrying in this season?
The Psalmist encourages us in this verse…
Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. (Psalm 55:22)
This is a great promise that God will take care of our burdens if we will entrust them to him.
So how do we cast our cares on the Lord and thrive in the presence of worry?
Personal Roadmap
I’d like to share a personal roadmap for moving from worry to quiet confidence.
David gives us this roadmap in Psalm 71. He provides three points on the roadmap that can help us cast our burdens on the Lord.
1. Look to the Lord
Imagine David fleeing after his son Absalom led a rebellion against him. He was in trouble and he called on God for protection (2 Samuel 15:14).
O Lord, I have come to you for protection, don’t let me be disgraced. Turn your ear to listen to me and set me free (Psalm 71:2).
David models for us in Psalm 71:1-8, how we too can take our worries to the Lord. He reviews God’s resume and qualifications in verses 2-8. From this resume, we can see that God is more than qualified to carry our burdens.
- Rock of Safety and Hiding Place
- Savior
- Fortress
- Rescuer from oppression
- Deliverer
- Constant Companion
- Strength and Protector
- Hope
- Trustworthy
- Praiseworthy
As David reviews God’s character, he declares, “I can never stop praising you.”
Friend, can you recall a time when God took care of a burden for you?
Recalling our previous experiences with God, gives us quiet confidence to trust him and cast our burdens on him.
2. Cast your Cares on Him
In Psalm 71:9-13, David took his cares directly to God. What are those cares?
- David’s strength is failing in old age.
- Enemies whisper against him, mock, and plot to kill him.
- David begs God, “please don’t stay away, hurry to deliver me.”
Like David, you and I can also bring our cares about school, jobs, work, finances, health to the Lord. We can even be more specific… Lord, I am concerned about the safety of my children if school reopens in August.
I am a college student, and I am not sure whether I should live on campus or go to college online.
It doesn’t matter whether these cares are within our control or outside of our control. God wants to know about them all.
3 Rest in God’s Quiet Confidence
After David shared his worries with God, he rested and put his hope in God. He recalled God’s goodness and thanked him in advance for the answer to his request… Psalm 71:14-24. David said I will…
- Keep on hoping in you for help.
- Tell everyone about your righteousness.
- Proclaim your saving power.
- Praise you with music because you are faithful to your promises.
- You allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you restore my life again.
After we have given him our cares, we can rest in God’s quiet confidence.
For situations in our control, we can pray for wisdom and take the necessary action.
For burdens beyond our control, let’s follow David’s example and rest in God’s faithfulness.
God’s shoulders are big and broad enough to carry your worries. In what ways will you let him help and sustain you?
Prayer
Lord, thank you for giving us a roadmap to help us leave our worries with you. We are facing so many uncertainties at this time about our children, school, work, health, businesses, and finances, ad racial issues. The timing of when things will return to normal is beyond our control. Lord, let these problems not overwhelm us. While we are waiting, help us to trust and praise your name. We pray with thanksgiving in the Precious, Powerful and Mighty name of Jesus. Amen
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