Pr Joshua Yong

Cast Thy Burden Upon the Lord
Psalm 55:16-23

Psalm 55:22 – “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”

As we live in this world, everyone will have his or her own burden to bear. As it is God’s calling for the Christian to suffer for Christ, we must willingly and joyfully bear these trials and afflictions for Christ’s sake. Yet, as we bear these burdens, do we have to bear them alone? 

Psalm 55 is a Psalm of David. In this Psalm the burden David bore was a very heavy one. David was betrayed and oppressed by someone who was very close to him. Psalm 55:12-14 says,“For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.” Though the one who oppressed David was not identified here specifically, the description seems to refer to Absalom and his once trusted advisory Ahithophel.This account is recorded for us in 2 Samuel 17:1-2. When Absalom revolted against David, Ahithophel deserted David and took Absalom’s side. Instead of helping David, Ahithophel strategized for Absalom and plotted an attack against David when David was most vulnerable (2 Sam 17:1-2). It is the betrayal of someone whom you trust and who is closest to you that would hurt the most. When faced with such affliction, how should one respond? 

Having first described the extent of his sorrow and grief (v.1-8), David then turned his attention to address the wicked (v.9-15). There he identified them and called for God’s justice to come upon them. Having described the burdens he was bearing, David turned to the Lord once more and encouraged himself as he cast his burdens upon the Lord (v.16-23). Our focus here would be to see how David cast his burdens upon the Lord.

1.  By Crying unto the Lord (v.16-17)

What David did in this time of distress was to encourage himself in the Lord by calling upon the Lord. In verse 16, David first began with praying in faith and trust. The phrase “as for me” expresses the contrast in David’s response with that of his enemies. David did not return the plots of his enemies with clever stratagems or schemes. Instead he called upon the Lord in faith.

In verses 16 and 17 David used the synthetical parallelism to emphasise the extent of his cry unto the Lord. In verse 16, he said that he would “call upon God” but immediately in verse 17, he highlighted the frequency of this cry. He would not only call upon the Lord, but he would call upon the Lord “evening, and morning, and at noon.” When David was in distress, he called upon the Lord and he did so continually. It is as if, every moment David felt so compelled to seek the Lord. 

Are there moments throughout the day when we forget to call upon the Lord? It is especially in moments of trials and testings, that the Lord turns our gaze back to Him. It is in such times that we realise we need the Lord every moment of the day. There must be such a desire for the presence of the Lord that we would seek him, evening, morning and noon.

But it was not only the frequency of the cry David emphasised here. He also said in verse 17 that he would “cry aloud.” This word means to “roar” and is used to describe the making of a loud sound or noise. While David most certainly knew that the Lord could hear even the softest of whisper, this cry reflected David’s earnest plea and his eagerness to have his Lord’s attention. David was not satisfied merely to utter words of prayer, he cried unto the Lord with great earnestness and passion, longing for the Lord to hear his voice. David was desperate and the situation was extremely dire as his life and kingdom were on the line. 

As he cried unto the Lord, he was comforted with the knowledge that God has heard his cry. He thus could say that “the LORD shall save me,” (v.16) and “he shall hear my voice.” (v.17). David prayed with confidence in the Lord, knowing that the Lord will move and will work according to His will. This thought of deliverance was where David was sensitive to the Lord’s working. David understood the absolute nature of God's sovereignty in his life. Goliath was an impossible enemy to defeat but the LORD defeated him using only one small stone. David’s deliverance for the life of a fugitive against King Saul and his army was also another impossibility but the LORD was there with David every step of the way enabling David to not sin against the LORD by taking matters into his own hands. With these past experiences, David will continue to trust in the LORD’s help and deliverance in His time and in any way the LORD sees fit.

2.  By Seeing the Lord’s Sustaining hand (v.18-21)

In verse 18, David continues to express confidence in the Lord’s deliverance. David knew that he was the anointed of the Lord and if it were the Lord’s will for him to remain as king, then the Lord would surely deliver him. Often in times of distress, we fail to see the Lord working and even the friends that he has supplied. It is especially in such times that we must trust that the Lord will work according to His own will and in a way which is consistent to His own character. 

In verse 18, David said, “there were many with me.” Though David felt alone, yet when he looked up, he saw that the Lord had also provided many who stood with him. Because of the knowledge of who God is, David was able to abide in peace with the Lord. 

As the Lord sends many to be in the company of David, He will also deal justly against those who have touched the anointed of the Lord. Hence David says in verse 19, that “God shall hear, and afflict them.” The wicked here “have no changes” meaning that David knew that the wicked were abiding in complacency. The wicked have become very comfortable in their own prosperity; therefore they have no fear of God. Because of such arrogance, they betray those who tried to make peace with them, and thus break their vows and promises which they made both unto God and man (v.20). Their mouths are filled with flatteries, yet their hearts are filled with a murderous spirit (v.21). How can the righteous deal with those who are so cunning and yet so murderous? At times, we will not be able to do anything against those who have conducted themselves so wickedly. But it is then we must learn to see that the Lord is just and He will work in His own way to deliver His own. 

The testimony described here is found in 2 Samuel 15:31-37. When Ahithophel plotted against David, the Lord sent Hushai, whom the Bible identified as David’s friend to help David and to confound the counsel of Ahithophel. 2 Sam 15: 31-37 says,“And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O Lord, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. 32 And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the mount, where he worshipped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head: 37 So Hushai David's friend came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.”Together with Hushai, the Lord also sent Joab and Abishai who aided David. The Lord used these friends to help David and also to defeat the rebellion of Absalom. 

When we feel that the burdens are too heavy to bear, it is when we must look at the Lord’s sustaining hand. There we will see the people God sends and the way He moves in sustaining His own.

3.  By Conducting Ourselves Righteously (v. 22, 23)

In verse 22, David exhorts God’s people to cast their burdens upon the Lord. This is the testimony of David. Having experienced God’s deliverance, he encouraged others to also cast their burden upon the Lord. The word to “cast,” means to throw, or to “fling” away. Once it is cast away, we do not carry it anymore. At times we are unable to cast our burden upon the Lord because we are still unwilling to surrender wholeheartedly unto the Lord. It could be that we still want to be in control of a particular situation, or that we still want to employ our own methods and ideas to find a solution to our problem. We are unable to “cast” our burdens upon the Lord, because we are unwilling to surrender to the Lord. But here, David exhorts us to cast our burden upon the Lord. This is where we entrust our whole self and the future outcome unto the Lord. 

David knew who it is that we are casting our burdens upon. In verse 22, David deliberately used the name “LORD” or Jehovah. This was the covenant name of God. This was the only time in this Psalm that David referred to the Lord by His covenantal name. David knew that he could cast his burden upon the Lord because of his covenant relationship with God. That David also referred to God as “Jehovah” is a reminder that the one to whom we are casting our burden upon is our Covenant-keeping God. He is not a stranger to us. Knowing who we are casting our burdens upon is important. If we know that a person is reliable and trustworthy, we will more readily cast our burdens upon that person. 

Yet in all our afflictions and struggles, it is also important that we conduct ourselves uprightly and remain “righteous.” David said that God “shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” To be “righteous” here does not only describe the positional righteousness that one has in Christ. It also means that even in the midst of oppression and affliction, we must be mindful to conduct ourselves righteously. David understood that if he were to resort to wicked means to deal with the wicked, he cannot turn to the Lord for help. At times, this may require great humility and the putting away of our pride and our rights in dealing with the wicked. But as we cast our burdens upon the Lord, we have to trust that the Lord will never allow the righteous to be shaken in their faith. As David cast his burdens upon the Lord, and conducted himself uprightly, he knew that the Lord would deal justly against the wicked (v.23).

This is also a reminder that we have to guard ourselves not to sin against God even in times of sufferings and afflictions. 

As David concluded these thoughts, he made a simple but firm declaration of faith that he will trust in the Lord. 

One of the dangers we face when we are oppressed or afflicted, is that we will forget our testimony for the Lord. If we react in selfish anger to those who oppress us, scheme and plot their hurt, or we murmur and complain against God, then we have lost our testimony for the Lord. Even in the midst of dealing with oppressors, trusting the Lord means that we will conduct ourselves righteously. The Lord’s assurance is that “he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” This is where the real battle lies. David wrestle not against flesh and blood but against spiritualities in high places invisible to the naked eyes. David must no sin for to sin he shames the Name of Christ that he bears as the man after God's own heart! 

Do burdens overwhelm you? Sometimes these burdens may come in the form of issues, people, and even in the circumstances we face. Whatever these burdens may be, though they weigh you down, cast them upon the Lord. In the Lord we will find God’s sustaining grace to be sufficient for us.