I’ve been shaken before. That is, disturbed or shocked by some event or circumstance in my life to the point that my confidence is diminished.
So if God allowed me to be shaken, does that mean I’m not righteous? Well, I’m definitely not righteous on my own, but through Jesus I am absolutely righteous.
So why did God allow me to be shaken?
Maybe it’s because I didn’t “cast my burden on the Lord.”
To “cast” means to “throw something forcefully in a specified direction.” So, I’m supposed to hurl my burden at God! Not hand over, not set down in front of, not toss to, not request it be removed when it’s convenient…. Throw. Forcefully. Right at God.
And He promises to catch my burden and deal with it for me.
If I’ve thrown my burden the way I’d throw a poisonous snake I found on my lap or a grenade about to go off, then I no longer have it. It is gone and far away from me. I don’t need to stress about being bitten or blown up anymore. God has caught and killed the snake or detonated the grenade out of harm’s way.
So why would I still be shaken?
The problem isn’t with God here. It’s with me. I don’t trust God to have caught my burden and dealt with it. Or maybe I never hurled it away in the first place. If I hang on to my problems and wring my hands and worry and just stare at them, they are going to shake me.
If I throw my burdens to God, trust Him to deal with them, and focus on moving forward, living obediently instead of obsessing over my burdens (that have been hurled away), I will not be shaken. I can live confidently in His strength.
Dear God,
Teach me how to throw my burdens to you with force and permanence. I don’t want them, and I know you can handle them. Forgive me for the times when I choose to try to deal with everything myself, with my own puny strength. Thank you for providing confidence and righteousness!
CamDevo 