My heart is so full of heavy burdens. Perhaps I shouldn’t let these things trouble me so much. Maybe I should just get used to it. How do I get used to it? I’m afraid if I keep pestering God about it, He will get tired of me or even upset with me.
Have these thoughts or some like them ever troubled your mind? What does God think about it? Does He mind when we bring our heavy hearts to Him? Does He mind when we come to Him repeatedly and plead with Him to hear our cries? Let us take a look at the word of God.
In Matthew 11:28-30, we find this very comforting invitation, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29) Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” God’s arms are open wide, ready for us to run into to find our hiding place, our place of comfort and safety. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” (Proverbs 18:10) We are invited to bring all our troubles to the Lord. Why? Because He cares for us. “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” (I Peter 5:7) When heartaches become too great for us to endure, when burdens become overwhelming and we cannot bear up under them, we can come to Almighty God and pour out our hearts to Him. He can always be trusted to listen and to care. “Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.” (Psalm 62:8)
One place of comfort that many people go to when they are troubled, afraid, overwhelmed, downhearted, or having great heartache is the Psalms. The ones who wrote the Psalms experienced the same types of hard times, scary times, sad times that we experience today. They pour out their hearts to God, expressing even the emotions of their heart and soul. They do this with the assurance that God hears and will certainly answer.
In Psalm 56:9-11, David expressed this assurance as he cried out to God for deliverance from physical danger. This was part of His prayer when the Philistines took him in Gath. “9)When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me. 10) In God will I praise his word: in the Lord will I praise his word. 11) In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.” Notice David’s statement in verse nine. He is assured that God will turn His enemies back. He says, “this I know.” Why could he know this? Because God was with Him. David knew that He could cry to God and His prayer would be answered.
Consider the words in surrounding Psalms, such as Psalm 55 where David prays in agony of spirit “1) Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication. 2) Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise… 4) My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. 5) Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me. 6) And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. 7) Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah… 16) As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. 17) Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. 18) He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me… 22) Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” When David cried out to the Lord, he told Him everything, even all his emotions. This was not just a silent prayer in the night before drifting off to sleep. This was a noisy, heartfelt cry, perhaps with much groaning of spirit. But He knew he could come to God with all his heart laid open because God cares and God would hear him and God would surely deliver him in peace.
There are so many more examples in Scripture. Much of the Psalms consist of the psalmists pouring out their hearts before the Lord and crying to Him and pleading for help or deliverance. The Psalms also contain great assurances that God is listening to these cries and that He will answers them. He does not get tired of the prayers and cries and outpouring of our hearts. Rather, “13) Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. 14) For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:13,14) When you come to Him, perhaps for the tenth time that day, and cry to Him out of the depths of your heart, He does not weary of it. He pities, cares, hears, answers, and bears you up. There is always a place of refuge and safety in Him, “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” (Deuteronomy 33:27a) Our God is a hiding place that never fails, and His arms a refuge into which the enemy can never enter. So, if you are weary and heavy laden, Come. You will find in your Savior a place of rest.