Spurgeon: May AM
* 05/26/AM
"Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee."
--Psalm 55:22
Care, even though exercised upon legitimate objects, if
carried to excess, has in it the nature of sin. The precept to
avoid anxious care is earnestly inculcated by our Saviour, again
and again; it is reiterated by the apostles; and it is one which
cannot be neglected without involving transgression: for the
very essence of anxious care is the imagining that we are wiser
than God, and the thrusting ourselves into His place to do for
Him that which He has undertaken to do for us. We attempt to
think of that which we fancy He will forget; we labour to take
upon ourselves our weary burden, as if He were unable or
unwilling to take it for us. Now this disobedience to His plain
precept, this unbelief in His Word, this presumption in
intruding upon His province, is all sinful. Yet more than this,
anxious care often leads to acts of sin. He who cannot calmly
leave his affairs in God's hand, but will carry his own burden,
is very likely to be tempted to use wrong means to help himself.
This sin leads to a forsaking of God as our counsellor, and
resorting instead to human wisdom. This is going to the "broken
cistern" instead of to the "fountain;" a sin which was laid
against Israel of old. Anxiety makes us doubt God's
lovingkindness, and thus our love to Him grows cold; we feel
mistrust, and thus grieve the Spirit of God, so that our prayers
become hindered, our consistent example marred, and our life one
of self-seeking. Thus want of confidence in God leads us to
wander far from Him; but if through simple faith in His promise,
we cast each burden as it comes upon Him, and are "careful for
nothing" because He undertakes to care for us, it will keep us
close to Him, and strengthen us against much temptation. "Thou
wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee,
because he trusteth in Thee."