"Cast your cares on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken" (Psalm 55:22, NIV).
In high school, I was the grocery shopping queen. By queen, I mean I would spend hours clipping coupons, printing them out, organizing them, and making sure my family got the best deals. Once we got home, I continued my ambitions by carrying as many grocery bags as I could at once. Always, instead of making two trips, I'd pile more onto my arms and fingers until my hands began to ache and the bags would inevitably tear.
In life, many of us live this way emotionally and spiritually. We don't mean to, but we carry the stress, added responsibilities, disappointments, fears, grief, and expectations because we think we have to be strong. The reality is, God never asked us to hold it all together. Rather, He invites us to hand our burdens to Him.
David wrote Psalm 55 in a period of deep distress. Not just a bad day or week, but an incredibly testing season. He faced painful betrayal, pressure, and fear. Even earlier in this chapter, he says his heart is in anguish, and he wishes he could flee and hide from his troubles. But right when things get bad, he gives us this advice: "Cast your cares on the Lord." And if he could do that from within the pit, so can we.
Casting his cares on God didn't mean his problems were instantly fixed. An immediate escape route wasn't provided in detail. But he did give David sustaining grace to make it through.
When we try to carry everything on our own, we uphold the false belief that we're responsible for everything. But God never asked us to be the Savior. He is. And He bears our burdens that human shoulders were never meant to carry. That's exactly why David tells us to "cast," our cares on the Lord.
The word "cast" is an active word meaning to throw intentionally. It's not politely handing God something; it's releasing the whole weight to Him. Details and all. Often, again and again, even after we pick up the burden for the twelfth time, that hour.
Casting our burdens on the Lord doesn't mean we will have a stress-free or anxiety-free life. But it does mean He will sustain us through it all. He will give us just enough strength for this day, this moment, this present fear. And He proves so through His steadfast wisdom, endurance, peace, and presence. The miracle might not be that the circumstances change, but that He's still with us within them.
Today, answer these questions honestly: What burden am I carrying? How do I view my anxiety? Do I feel shame when I think about my fears?
Write down the answers to these questions and pray over them. Then, whenever you start to worry, remind yourself that you can continually "cast" these cares on Him. He isn't judging you. He cares. He loves you. And He sees you right where you are. Period.
The strongest thing you can do today isn't carry more; it's to surrender what you're carrying to the one who was created to bear it all. And that person was never you or me, friend. Human shoulders weren't meant to hold what only God can carry. So choose to be brave and lay it down. Every day. Even if you have to lay it down minute by minute, day after day.
Prayer
Dear Jesus, you see the exhausted version of me and the one trying to hold it all together. Thank you for loving me the same. Today, I give you my worries and cares and ask you to help me cast them on you. When I pick them up again, help me to lay them back down. Allow me to experience the peace and rest that come from dwelling in you alone. Provide your peace that surpasses all understanding, your love that comforts my greatest need, and your joy that exists far beyond my worst of circumstances. When I'm struggling, Lord, I will throw these burdens into your arms. Not just because you were made to carry them, but because you care about me. You want to hold me and my burdens well. Thank you for allowing me to come as I am and never having to worry if I'm too much or not enough. Amen.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/TomMerton
Related Resource: Instead of Doing More This Summer, Maybe You Need to Do Less
If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Originally published Wednesday, 17 June 2026.
SHARE
