Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22 (NKJV) In 2010, I was part of a group of volunteers that went to Haiti to help with the relief efforts from the earthquake. My team worked in a local church that was greatly affected by the earthquake. Many of the walls of that church crumbled, the pulpit area was damaged, and many of the members lost their homes. Nevertheless, amid the chaos and destruction, I saw many school children go through their daily routine in the dilapidated school adjacent to the church building. In the midst of the devastation, the pastor of that church had a quiet confidence that God would fix everything. It is as if he was saying, “God got this.” I have to admit there are times my attitude does not reflect the confidence that “God got this.” At times, I struggle in my faith because I cannot see what God is doing in the unseen. Today’s text is encouraging on many levels. It provides a reminder for believers to cast their burdens on the Lord, and He shall sustain us. We all have burdens, notwithstanding our socio-economic or religious status. It is God’s sustaining power, which enables believers to endure their burdens. Yesterday marked the tenth anniversary of that earthquake in Haiti. Some still believe that God got this despite the economic hardship that has overtaken the little island. Many of the believers in Haiti are living with the resilient hope that God will fix the many social ills that plague the country. Whereas I believe that God can do anything, I am very impressed with their confident hope and attitude that “God got this.” Is God in charge of the affairs of your life? Do you live with the confidence that God will sustain you through your burdens? That is the crux of our faith journey. Christians must trust that “God got this.” Without that confidence, we can easily be overwhelmed by fear. It is that confidence that allows us to persevere through hardships and disappointments.
Longfellow reminds us, “into each life; some rain must fall.” The way we handle that rain affirms our identity as followers of Jesus Christ. Rain is only meaningful to those who have seeds on the ground. For others, rain can be an inconvenience. God is the provider of rain. However, he also offers shelter from the rain. In other words, “God got this.” He will sustain us through the drought and provide rain for our fruitfulness. God also got us when our sky is overcast, and we are inundated with sorrow. For those that are facing an overwhelming challenge and are beginning to lose confidence in their overcoming power, may I remind you, “God got you.” He knows your struggles and is your very present help in trouble. The Psalmist says, “God will not permit the righteous to be moved.” That is comforting and encouraging. The word “move” comes from the Hebrew word that means to overthrow, to let fall. The point here is that God will not allow us to be overthrown in our spiritual warfare, or let us fall into despair. He will sustain us by his mighty power. That is good news for those of us that are doing Christ’s great commission work. Prayer- Blessed Lord, I pray for your sustaining power for brothers and sisters that are on the verge of quitting on you and their ministry. Give them the confidence to walk by faith and not by sight.