The Casting
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” I Peter 5:7 (NIV)
I am fully convinced that although we all experience anxiety in life, there are some of us that are more prone to anxiousness. Perhaps it is the way our brains are wired; or maybe it is the way adrenaline dumps into our system when we are stressed. Regardless of whether you are constantly battling anxiety or if you only face it under stress, it is a common emotion to us all.
Anxiety is such a miserable feeling because it involves not only our mind and spirit, but our body as well. Racing heart, clammy palms, light-headedness, butterflies in the stomach… it feels a long way from the divine peace of God!
We are living in the last times, awaiting the soon return of Christ. The days are evil, and opportunities to fear, fret, and worry, abound. Today, people freely talk about having panic attacks and phobias. It is like everyone lives in a pressure cooker. To live this life in victory, we have to draw upon the strength of the Lord to combat anxious feelings.
I Peter 5:7, exhorts us to cast our anxiety on Him (the Lord). When I think of this, I picture a fisherman heaving a large and cumbersome net over the side of the boat and slinging it as far as it will go. The weight of his burden is easily lightened by the vastness of the sea. What burdens do you carry? What things cause you to lie awake at night grappling with fear and dread? Cast it on the Lord! He is big enough to handle the heaviest of loads with ease. And not only that, but in return, He grants us rest, comfort, grace, and peace. He understands the weight of this life. He personally walked through it all in His time on Earth. He is touched by our afflictions just as surely as He was moved by compassion for people during His earthly ministry. He shares our hurts and pain. His great arms are open to us to give us the embrace of tender consolation.
I love the second part to this verse. Why would I throw my worries on Jesus? Because he cares for me! He is intimately involved in all matter pertaining to me! (And you.)
There have been times in my life that I have tried to share my heart with someone. Sometimes, I received just the encouragement I needed. Other times, people have seemed to misunderstand and minimize my pain. Occasionally, I saw my problems as too great a burden to share with a another living, breathing, soul. But not so with God! He always cares. He is always invested and he always understands- both the situation and the things in me that cause me to respond as I do. Thank God! We never have to face it alone.
Giving our problems to God is an act of faith. As such, we may find ourselves picking it right back up. If you find yourself doing that, gather it all, call upon the name of the Lord, and throw it all at the feet of Jesus!
Dear Lord, you see the things that weigh me down. You know the life stressors that steal my joy. I choose now, by faith, to cast them upon you! Thank you that you do care and that you will lighten my load. I am grateful that you bestow upon me beauty for ashes. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Sherri
Amen!
Thanks for this post Sherri. I too tend to worry and be anxious about things I have no control over. I’m so thankful that I can cast my cares upon Him.
Thanks, Bernadine. It is good to know I am not alone in my struggles!
I am grateful that I can cast my anxieties on Him. Too often I want to just handle problems myself without consulting the Lord. But when I take to the Lord it helps me to gain a clear perspective.
Bless you for sharing.
Thank you for your comments on casting care on God. I usually try to get it all figured out before I talk to God about it.