Week 38
1 Peter 5:7 “casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you”
The better we understand how marvelous, majestic, sovereign, transcendent, and great the Lord God is, the more we will be surprised at His love, compassion, and care for us! That the Lord God of heaven and earth would even take notice of us, let alone be concerned for us, is stunning beyond comprehension!
But still, the text is clear: “He cares for you.” There is breadth in this; He cares for you in every aspect of your life, in every situation you face, in every challenge, and in every trial. There is specificity in this; He knows the small details of each hurt you feel and each fear you face. Why? Because God cares for you. He cares, and He cares for YOU. This is both simple and profound at the same time.
And how does the text advise us to respond to this glorious truth? What difference should this make in our lives? The text says because God cares for us, we should cast “all” anxiety on Him. Isn’t this wonderfully comprehensive? If the text had stated or intimated that we might be able to cast MOST of our troubles on the Lord, then that would have been helpful, but not as generous and certainly not as encouraging. We may (and we MUST!) cast all our anxiety upon Him. No problem is too large for God, no difficulty is too small to discuss with Him, and no trial is too personal, but that we can transfer the responsibility and the weight of our fears onto God’s shoulders. He cares for us now and always, and He cares about the fact that we are carrying way more than we should.
Sweet Christian friend, are you carrying the pain of past hurts? Then, cast it onto Jesus; give it to Him. Are you worried and anxious about a matter that stings your heart today? Go to Jesus and pour out your heart to Him (Psalm 62:8). Grab the matter and fling it from you to the Master’s capable and loving hands. He cares for YOU! He knows what is best, and you can trust Him.
You may feel unworthy of this, but HE CARES FOR YOU! Do not dishonor your Savior by doubting what He has said! Most assuredly, He can handle the anxiety of anything more than you can; by worry, you cannot change any situation one whit! And the only way to peace in your heart is by casting your anxiety onto Jesus. Won’t you do it today? Won’t you trust His promise and soak your scared heart in His love and care?
Prayer: Dear Lord, I confess to you today that I fight with inner anxiety that robs me of peace, calm, and assurance. But reading this text today has helped to remind me that it dishonors You to refuse to give to You the anxiety I have in my heart. Help me to cast this to You and help me to live in the light of Your love. Help me to exalt You as the faithful Shepherd of my soul. Amen.