Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. Psalm 55:22
Cast (throw out, throw down, throw away, cast away, cast down, cast off, fling, hurl)
your cares (your lot, your burden, the care, anxiety, etc. which are thy portion, what is given you)
on (upon) the Lord (Yhvh, the Self-Existent, Eternal)
and he will sustain (contain, keep in, guide, hold in, nourish, be present, make provision, receive, sustain, provide sustenance, maintain, support) you;
he will never (nay, no, not)
let (permit, allow, cause, suffer) the righteous be shaken (totter, slip, fall, be moved).1
Isn't it cool how the more you study the Bible, the more you discover? I have written about this psalm before, but this time the part that grabbed my attention was "and he will sustain you." The Hebrew word translated "sustain" is כּוּל (kul). It means contain, keep in, guide, hold in, nourish, be present, make provision, receive, sustain, provide sustenance, maintain, support.
Contain. Think about that - God will contain you. It sounds wonderful, but what does that mean?
I once heard a wise teacher say that when you are studying the Bible it's good to look at the first time a word is used. This word is first used in Genesis when Joseph, now second to Pharaoh, is inviting his family to come and live in Egypt to escape famine:
You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. I will provide (kul) for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute. Genesis 45:10-11
Egypt would contain Jacob and his sons, keep them near to the "savior" Joseph. Joseph would be present to them, a kind of illustration of the Christ, and they would be sustained, provided sustenance, maintained and supported there.
How does God "contain" us?
… for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:26-28 (ESV)
Contained "in Christ" we are sons of God, we are free, we are one. We are accepted in the beloved (Ephesians 1:6 KJV). Got Questions explains it this way:
"To be 'in Christ' means we have accepted His sacrifice as payment for our own sin. Our rap sheets contain every sinful thought, attitude or action we have ever committed. No amount of self-cleansing can make us pure enough to warrant forgiveness and a relationship with a holy God (Romans 3:10-12). The Bible says that in our natural sinful state we are enemies of God (Romans 5:10). When we accept His sacrifice on our behalf, He switches accounts with us. He exchanges our list of sins for His perfect account that is totally pleasing to God (2 Corinthians 5:21). A Divine Exchange takes place at the foot of the cross: our old sin nature for His perfect one (2 Corinthians 5:17).
To enter the presence of a holy God, we must be hidden in the righteousness of Christ. To be 'in Christ' means that God no longer sees our imperfections; He sees the righteousness of His own Son (Ephesians 2:13; Hebrews 8:12)." -- Got Questions2
That God no longer sees our imperfections makes me think of Jacob and his family coming into the kingdom of the Pharaoh. They were shepherds, an occupation that was an abomination to the Egyptians (Genesis 46:34). Normally, they would have been rejected. Yet, they were accepted by Pharaoh because he no longer saw what was detestable to him, but only that they were the family of Joseph. What a beautiful picture of salvation! Amazing grace!
Consequently, you [Gentiles] are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household … Ephesians 2:19
For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:3
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help (surround you, protect, aid, succour) you; I will uphold you (maintain you, retain, sustain, hold up, follow close) with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
Salvation
1Definitions from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
2What does it mean to be in Christ? https://www.gotquestions.org/in-Christ.html
Photo is of my crazy family. All accepted. All beloved.
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