Doing Fifty Five On Twenty Two

Originally posted on 02 October 2011 by Rev Tommy Carpenter

I can’t tell you how many times I have traveled Highway 22 between Paris and Fort Smith, Arkansas. I was a second grader in Mrs. Burkhead’s class when our family moved from Paris to Fort Smith for Daddy to find work. That was the first time in my memory that I remember making that trip.

We moved back to Paris for a brief two years when our family managed the Dairy Queen. I started to drive and received my driver’s license and one of the favorite places to drive was on 22 toward Charleston. I really can’t tell you that my speed was just 55 miles an hour, but most of my trips up and down that road the speed limit was posted at 55.

A few mornings ago in my daily devotions, my Bible reading came to Psalm 55:22. This verse, somehow, made me think of doing 55 on 22. I really must be reminded to use this verse to guide and drive me on life’s journey.

“Cast your burden upon the LORD, and HE shall sustain you! HE shall never suffer (allow) the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22).

If you have a burden, and who doesn’t, we can take it to the LORD in prayer. Cast in this verse, means to throw, hurl or fling and the Authorized Version uses this word 125 times in its various forms. However we perceive this word, we should throw, hurl or fling our load of life upon the LORD.

Look at the benefits of casting our burdens on the LORD. First, we transfer our burdens to HIM. Our burdens are heavy but JESUS let’s make a deal for “MY burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). That’s called relief.

Benefit two, is that HE will sustain us, that is, HE will support us and take charge of our situation. When I travel on an airline, I check my baggage and someone carries it for me to my destination. JESUS will carry your burden and help us from here to the end of our journey. That’s called release.

Another benefit is that HE will settle and stabilize our situation, as we trust HIM. When you are burdened and don’t know what to do, check your load to HIM and let HIM drive. You will be doing 55 down 22. That’s called reliance.