Text: Psalm 55:1-23
“But I call to God, and the Lord will save me.” (Psalm 55:16)
I once preached a sermon series called “Big ‘Buts’ in the Bible.” Yep, you read that right. “But” is a very important word. In Greek it is the word “alla.” Throughout scripture there are many big time game changers in the form of ‘buts’…
“Sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it” (Genesis 4:7). That’s an important but. “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). Where would we be today without that but? “Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess [Jesus]…” (John 12:42). Fear is a big but that keeps many people from becoming fully alive in Christ!
Psalm 55 contains one of those game changing buts. David holds nothing back in his restless complaint to God about injustices that are all around him. He describes it as “the noise of the enemy… dropping trouble upon me.” There is violence and strife in the city, oppression and fraud in the marketplace, while the man of God has experienced the betrayal of a close companion—a “familiar friend.”
Have you ever had a season like this? One in which you longed for “wings like a dove” so that you were able to fly away, finding solace and refuge in a remote wilderness. A five star paradise resort with a masseuse would be ideal; nevertheless just a quiet getaway will suffice!
Then as David is petitioning for the death and destruction of his enemies, we see one of those really big ‘buts’ come into play:
But I call to God, and the Lord will save me… He hears my voice… He redeems my soul in safety from the battle… (Psalm 55:16-18)
Then we can picture David turning his attention to his own soul and giving it a command: “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” (Psalm 55:22)
The word “burden” means whatever is given you, or your appointed lot. What will we do with the burdens God allows into our lives? Will we keep dragging them to our own undoing, or will we cast them on Him for an exchange of grace? George Campbell Morgan underscored the transitions in this psalm from fear to fury and now finally to faith. “Fear leads only to desire to flee. Fury only emphasizes the consciousness of the wrong. Faith alone creates courage,” he noted.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes my soul needs a real good kick in the… hindquarters. My flesh wants to groan and complain. I want to pity myself. The “noise” of everything that is wrong about the world becomes the anthem of my heart, as the “death” and “destruction” of evildoers becomes my chorus. BUT God is faithful—He calls me to courageously cast my burden on Him, promising to sustain me in every way. As I do that in faith, the toxins in my heart are flushed out by His grace and mercy. I find peace in the storm, forgiveness for those who have hurt me, and compassion for all those “sinners” who don’t know how to act like anything else but… sinners.
It is also in this place that I recognize I myself am my greatest enemy: I’m the sinner in need of saving. Just because I prayed a sinner’s prayer as a teenager over three decades ago doesn’t take away the fact that I still need to be saved from myself every day. Casting my burden on the Lord means bringing Him everything—my bitter complaints, my fury, my suffering, my weaknesses, my hurt, my struggle, my addiction, my loss, my grief, my disappointments, my failures, my need for recognition, my pride, my self-sufficiency… and on and on that list goes.
God never imposes burdens to crush us; He allows them so that we will come to the place where we say, “But I will trust in you.” Think about that as you seek to abide in Him this week.
PRAYER
Lord, your purpose is not that the burdens of life would crush me, but that they would bring me to you. Help me to recognize the toxins that seep into my heart when I try to carry these burdens alone. Teach me what it means to cast my burdens on you and to experience your sustaining grace in all the chaos. Thank you for never failing me. Jesus, I will trust in you. Amen.
Questions for Reflection, Small Group or Family Discussion:
- How do you typically handle disappointment?
- How did David describe his heart’s pain, and what does the psalm say he wished he could do? (Psalm 55:4-8) When have you wished you could escape from a problem?
- What made David’s situation especially painful? (Psalm 55:12-14) How do people usually react when they feel betrayed or let down by a trusted friend?
- How did David deal with his pain and anger? (Psalm 55:16-23)
- What words of instruction does this psalm offer us? For what friend or enemy do you need to pray this next week? How can you commit a sense of anger or hurt to the Lord?
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