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Whatever else these words mean, they mean that the Lord is to be used. Whatever presses upon me in any way and troubles me, I am to take it off my shoulder and let the Lord carry it for me. Now, we want that truth to go sinking down through the soul, that God is not only my Creator but my Father; my Father, who cannot help loving me and caring for me everywhere and in everything. But men don't believe this. The world is real enough to them, but all this about the Lord, how unreal it sounds. And it never will be otherwise until to all such words about Christ the Spirit giveth life. He must reveal Christ to us. Pray for His help. Now, our text teaches —

I. THAT THE LORD IS WITHIN MY REACH. He is near me, I am to cast my burden upon Him. Now, this is just what we don't do. We kneel, and sigh, and pray about our burden, that we may cast it on the Lord, but we don't do it. We look up and sigh, and resolve that we will, but nothing comes of it. Some years ago I was staying in a Swiss city, and from the windows of my hotel I looked out on the bridge that crossed the Rhine. At the middle of the bridge there was a tiny wayside chapel, and as the peasants went to market they set the heavy basket down on the steps while they turned in to pray. Then they came out and took up their burdens again. That is how many people do with their troubles — they pray about them, and then pick them up again. What folly it is to call that casting! On the other side of the parapet there swept the swift current of the Rhine. Now, if one should take up the load with both hands, and swing it with all his might over the side, and then let it go whirling through space until it splashed into the waters, and went, swept away for ever — that is casting. So, then, on the Lord's part and on ours here is something to be done. To hear of it only is nothing — less than nothing. Do not let us cheat ourselves with words. And note, further, that it is to be done thoroughly. There is a kind of casting our burden that does not get rid of it at all, but only doubles it. If a friend of mine has some anxiety of which I can relieve him, and I say, "Now, I will see to that matter. Don't you trouble about it any more." What should the man say? "Thank you, I am sure; I will leave it with you, then." And away he goes, saying, "Well, that burden is gone, at any rate." And he feels lighter, and walks more briskly. But what if, instead of that, he should keep worrying me perpetually, "I hope you will not forget, will you? I do trust to you to remember. I really am very anxious about it — very." I should say to him, "Well, if you want to do it, sir, go and do it; but if I am to do it, fear not — I will." Don't you see the man has doubled the burden? He has put it on my shoulders, and carries it on his own at the same time. Oh, this untrusting trust, this unbelieving faith!

II. CAST UPON THE LORD THE BURDEN OF BEGINNING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. There are many of you who are feeling that burden, and a very heavy burden we may make of it. We have an idea that we want so many things besides Jesus, and that we cannot get Jesus until we get these other things. We want to feel our sins, and we want repentance, and we want earnestness, and we want faith. And then it may be that we are haunted by the fear of some past failure, or there is some besetment that grips us with a might that we cannot loosen. So the heart sinks under the burden. Now what are you going to do? Time does not lessen the weakness. Waiting is not likely in any way to mend matters. This burden of want, of weakness, of fear is exactly what you have to roll off upon the Lord. Boldly go to Him and say, "Lord Jesus, Thou hast come into this world to save me. I am very needy and very foolish, but Thou knowest what I want; and Thou knowest all that I shall ever want. And now, Lord Jesus, I am just going to let Thee save me, now and always." As this is the beginning of the blessed life, so it is the secret of it all along. Religion is ours just exactly in proportion as we avail ourselves of Jesus Christ. Victory is ours just exactly as we let Jesus Christ help us.

(Mark Guy Pearse.)

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KJV: Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

WEB: Cast your burden on Yahweh, and he will sustain you. He will never allow the righteous to be moved.