Rolled Away!

“Commit your actions to the Lord and your plans will succeed.” (Proverbs 16:3 NLT)

 Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.

Corrie Ten Boom

I have been thinking lately about what some of the disciples gave up to follow Jesus.  Peter and his brother gave up a fishing business, and Levi gave up a tax-collecting position.  And I guess that the families of these men must have questioned, “what in the world are you thinking?” “How are you going to provide now?”  Their reputations may have taken a hit as they decided to follow Jesus. 

In the centuries that have followed, there have been countless who have given up worldly advantages or taken a risk for a chance to serve the Lord.  And many of them have most likely encountered resistance from the ones they love or those around them. Obeying God’s call or taking on his assignment can be a daunting task and can be scary.  Of course, one thing we know for sure is our enemy is not okay with our taking action or moving out in faith.  And he most likely isn’t going to go easy on us as we do.  

To overcome the enemy’s harassment there are two things we must believe about heeding God’s call on our lives.  First, we must believe that God is above and over all things.  That he is sovereign over our entire situation.  That he is most definitely in control.  And then secondly, we must know without wavering that God is paying attention to us and our situation. That he is personally intimate with our lives and our circumstances; that he has our backs.  He isn’t hanging us out to dry; but is very much involved in our “risk” taking. Of course, what we know is that the safest and most protected “risk” we will ever take is the assignment God entrusts to us.

A verse we often return to when we are wondering if we have done the right thing by following God’s call is found in Proverbs. “Commit your actions to the Lord and your plans will succeed.” (Proverbs 16:3 NLT).  What exactly does this mean- commit your actions to the Lord?  The word commit is the Hebrew word, Galal.  It is a verb and literally and figuratively means to roll.  To roll?  Like a wave rolls over us in the ocean tide.  Hmmm?

What does rolling have to do with committing our actions to the Lord?  Well here is how it applies.  According to Matthew Henry this phrase, committing our actions to the Lord means, “roll thy way upon the Lord.” In other words, rather than carry the burden of concern on ourselves we roll it off ourselves, off our shoulders and roll it onto the Lord.   When we commit all our concerns to the Lord; we roll our anxieties onto God’s shoulders and let him take care of them.  I love this image!  I have lots of thing that can make me anxious especially now, anxieties I can spend time and energy on. After all, I am a mom, an Oma, the world is experiencing a “pandemic” of the coronavirus, and I have taken a chance by publishing a book.  I have lots to worry about. I bet you do too!  It is our job to worry, right?  It is our job to control everything, correct?  No, it is our job to roll it onto Jesus.  Isn’t that a beautiful image?  

 Matthew Henry said this, “We must roll it (our worries/burdens) off ourselves, so as not to afflict or perplex ourselves with thoughts about future events.” This sure is a relevant and appropriate word for today! A word written many years ago. Psalm 55:2 says, “Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you, He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.” These words are a wonderful encouragement for those of us who have the natural tendency to worry, especially when we are stepping out in faith.

Take a minute and ask God to show you what burden you are holding onto, and then imagine yourself rolling it onto Jesus. Give it to him, refer it to him, leave it with him and trust in his ability to deliver.  What a picture of relief.  

Remember:  God is in control and he has your back!

“Rolled away, rolled away, rolled away

Every burden on my heart rolled away

Rolled away, rolled away, rolled away

Every burden on my heart rolled away.

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