Leaving Our Burdens in the Lord's Hands - Carla D Burnette
Friend, what cares and concerns are weighing you down? No matter what they are, please know that you do not have to face them alone. Scripture encourages us to cast all our burdens on the Lord. Let’s learn the importance of doing so by turning to I Peter 5:6-10 (AMP).
Casting Our Burdens
V. 6-7 “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time, casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].”
Trusting the Lord with our burdens requires humility. Are we willing to let go and admit we don’t know all the answers? When we relinquish our burdens, we acknowledge our dependence upon the Lord and His ability to care for us.
What a privilege it is, friend, to go to the Lord anytime and anywhere with our cares and concerns. He longs for us to come and lay everything before Him. In fact, Scripture informs us that we can boldly approach the throne of grace to receive His mercy and find grace in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16 CSB).
Notice that verse 7 of I Peter encourages us to cast EVERY anxiety, EVERY worry, and EVERY concern. Why? Because He cares about EVERY detail of our lives. He knows that we are unable to bear the weight of our burdens.
Resisting the Enemy with Fellow Believers
V. 8-9 “Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour. But resist him, be firm in your faith [against his attack—rooted, established, immovable], knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being experienced by your brothers and sisters throughout the world. [You do not suffer alone.]”
When distracted and overwhelmed by our burdens, we are more vulnerable to the enemy’s schemes of drawing us away from God. That’s why it is vital to humble ourselves before God and leave our burdens in His hands.
After relinquishing our burdens, we no longer feel their weight, nor do they consume our thoughts. As a result, we can stand firm in our faith and resist the enemy. (See my post on how we can stand strong against the enemy)
From verse 9, we see that our brothers and sisters in Christ are undergoing the same types of attacks from the enemy. Therefore, we don’t have to face our struggles alone.
As a matter of fact, one way God cares for us is through the body of Christ. Instead of distancing ourselves from fellow believers, seek prayer and help from them. Don’t allow the enemy to isolate you with fear of what others will think.
When we admit our struggles and need for help, it enables us to draw strength from others. Plus, sharing our struggles cultivates connection, providing an opportunity for believers to demonstrate Christ’s love. Whether that be through prayer, an encouraging word, or spending time with us.
Friend, let’s allow the body of Christ to come alongside us and support us in love (Galatians 6:2).
V. 10 “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace [who imparts His blessing and favor], who called you to His own eternal glory in Christ, will Himself complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish you [making you what you ought to be].”
Take heart, my friend, that our struggles here on earth are temporary. They do not compare to the glory that awaits us in heaven (Romans 8:18). Therefore, let’s look to the Lord to sustain us. He will enable us to persevere through anything we may face.
Surrendering Every Care
From our brief study, we learned the importance of leaving our burdens in the Lord’s hands and seeking prayer/help from the body of Christ. With the Lord by our side and fellow believers supporting us, we can stand firm in our faith and resist the enemy.
Friend let’s lay every care at Jesus’ feet and trust He will sustain us.
Father, thank You that we can come to You at any time with all of our burdens and that You carry them for us. Help us to not pick them back up again but trust You with them. May we stand firm in our faith alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ. To You be all the glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Additional References for Further Study
2 Corinthians 4:17-18, “For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (CSB).
Psalm 55:22a, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you” (CSB).
Matthew 11:28, “‘Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest’” (CSB).
Questions for Reflection
- What is holding me back from leaving my burdens in the Lord’s hands?
- Do I hesitate to reach out to others for prayer? If so, why?
