Fleeing To or From?

Have you ever wanted to just fly away from the trouble you are facing? The natural instinct of most creatures, when faced with hostility, is to flee or fight. That is true of animals you might cross paths with today; and that is true of us when faced with hardship. Our first tendency is to flee or to fight. However, in Psalm 55 David reminds us that instead of fleeing (moving), we can be settled.

David himself felt like fleeing: “And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.” Sometimes I think that birds have it made! Birds don’t pay bills, have flat tires, or face nearly the difficulties I can face every day. If they don’t like the weather, they can just fly south!   For Christians, there are times when it is appropriate to flee or to fight, but if you live your whole life simply looking to flee or to fight, you really are missing out on God’s desire for His children. The natural instinct for a child of God should be to ask for help!

Instead of fleeing or fighting, David said to “cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee. . . .” You can try to flee from trouble when life is pressing down on you, but you will spend your time worrying and scheming. You can’t sustain that type of living! In contrast, when you cast your burden on the Lord, the Bible promises, “He shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” Are you bearing your burdens alone or are you casting them on God?

God can be your shelter when your tendency is to hide. Don’t live your life fleeing from trouble that life sends your way. “Cast thy burdens upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” Don’t move away from your problems; move your problems to the One who can take care of them!