How gentle God's commands!
How kind His precepts are!
Come, cast your burdens on the Lord
And trust His constant care.

Beneath His watchful eye
His saints securely dwell;
That hand which bears all nature up
Shall guard His children well.

Why should this anxious load
Press down your weary mind?
Haste to your heavenly Father's throne
And sweet refreshment find.

His goodness stands approved,
Unchanged from day to day;
Come, drop your burden at His feet
And bear a song away.

Philip Doddridge

 

The gentleness of God's commands . . . it's not an adjective we usually use to describe such things. With the thought of a command comes the thought of restraint, of being controlled, and who of us truly enjoys being controlled? But think about it. The commandments of our God, the God Who loves us, are given to us for our own good. And when we follow them, we find the peace and the joy that He promised us.

But that's not what caught my eye about this song. What caught my eye was the urge to trust. "Come, cast your burdens on the Lord and trust His constant care." It's what He calls us to. He said we could come. He told us to come. It's not as if we're intruding on His space or taking advantage of His goodness when we drop our burdens at His feet. We're only doing what He told us to do. And perhaps that is what the song is talking about when it speaks of the gentleness of His commands.

"Beneath His watchful eye His saints securely dwell." That paints a beautiful picture, and Psalm 23 comes to mind.

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

 

"That hand which bears all nature up shall guard His children well." That same hand which holds the seas and the stars and the entire world we call our own is also holding us. And surely the hand that can control the tides and send the winds has enough power to care for us. It's a thought that brings security but that should also bring humility. After all, it's not as if God doesn't have bigger, better things to "worry about," things that do not disappoint Him, that do not shun Him, that do not drive deep stakes of pain into His heart.

And yet, of all the things He holds in His hands, we are the most important, the most loved. We are His children.

So . . . "why should this anxious load press down your weary mind?" Indeed, why? He has called us to come. He has promised to not disappoint. Yet we so often cling to our burdens as if they are our identity. And perhaps they are. But the child of God no longer has to carve out an identity rife with pain and heartache and trials. Instead, we can find a new identity at the cross of Jesus, where "I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." (Galatians 2:20) So let those burdens go. "Haste to your heavenly Father's throne and sweet refreshment find." It's there. It's waiting for you. Just come.

God is so good, and His goodness is unchanging. He calls us to come, and when we do, He not only takes our burdens, but He sends us away with a song in our hearts. A song of peace. A song of joy. A song of rest.

So come to the throne, and bring what burdens you have . . . there are none too great for Him. He knows what you are facing. He is walking your path with you if you have asked Him to. He will never leave you alone.

So come.