“Cast your burden on the LORD [release it] and He will sustain and uphold you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken [slip, fall, fail].”
Psalm 55:22 (AMP)
Last week was physically and mentally exhausting. There have been more than a few of those weeks in the past year. I know I am not alone in this. The pandemic has increased the workload for employees at many companies. We are being asked to do more and more, often with fewer people to do the work. The human resources blogs are cautioning employers to watch for signs of fatigue and burnout among workers. And outside of work, there’s masking, physical distancing, not being able to gather with friends and family, worries about vaccines, and just the need to always stay vigilant. It’s emotionally draining and can be overwhelming.
So how do we combat this? Professional journals and magazine articles tell us to get enough sleep, eat a healthy diet, and be sure to make exercise a priority. These are all things we should be doing to live a healthy lifestyle. But there is something else we can do that will help us cope with whatever we are going through. Pray. Our heavenly Father longs for us to turn to him for help. He loves us with a love that is unmeasurable, cares about what we are going through, and is sympathetic to our situations. The Bible tells us to hand our burdens over to God, and that nothing is too big for him to handle. God wants us to ask for his help, and he will answer our prayers. Release everything to God and let him take your stress and replace it with his peace. Today’s hymn is another by Charles Albert Tindley (1851-1933). It reminds us to take everything to God and leave it there.
Leave It There (UMH #522)
Words: Charles Albert Tindley, ca. 1906
Music: Charles Albert Tindley, ca. 1906
If the world from you withhold of its silver and its gold,
And you have to get along with meager fare,
Just remember in his Word how he feeds the little bird,
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.
Refrain:
Leave it there, leave it there,
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.
If you trust and never doubt, he will surely bring you out;
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.
If your body suffers pain, and your health you can’t regain,
And your soul is almost sinking in despair,
Jesus knows the pain you feel, he can save and he can heal,
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.
Refrain
When your enemies assail, and your heart begins to fail,
Don’t forget that God in heaven answers prayer;
He will make a way for you, and will lead you safely through,
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.
Refrain
When your youthful days are done, and old age is stealing on,
And your body bends beneath the weight of care,
He will never leave you then, he’ll go with you to the end,
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.
Refrain
When life gets you down and starts to be too stressful and overwhelming, turn to God. Release whatever is burdening you and let him sustain you. Trust that he is with you through everything, and dwell in his peace.
Have a blessed week,