We continue our walk through the Epistle, ‘First Peter’. We are in Chapter 5, and up to verse 7. Peter has been urging his Church members to be humble, and caring for each other. For the Leaders to be examples to the flock. For everyone to treat each other right, whatever their station in life may be. To be eager to serve one another because they want to, and not because they have to. To humble themselves under God’s mighty hand so that He could lift them up in due time. May all of these things be true for us as well.
Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Peter writes this statement which is a life changer when we get it. He says, “Cast all of your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5 : 7
Anxiety, or to be anxious, means to be worried about what ‘may’ happen. This pretty much touches everyone, some more than others, but the Lord does not want this for us. He clearly says He does not want us to worry. He wants us to be anxiety free by casting it to Him.
The Apostle John wrote, “To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father – to Him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. Revelation 1: 6
We are not mere men and women who are struggling to get through this life – we have been made free of that by the love and blood of Jesus, our Lord. He has been given all glory, and He has been given all power by the Father. He set us free. He will keep us free.
He’s got this thing. Whatever it is, He can and will handle it if we toss it to Him.
Matthew recorded these words of Jesus in his Gospel. Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat? What shall we drink? or What shall we wear? For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6: 25-27, 31-33
He who has all power is certainly able to meet our every need – and as the scripture says, He knows what those needs are. John wrote that Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” John 14:1
Let us listen to the voice of the Lord. He said, “Do not worry – that activity brings you nothing”. What does bring us what we need is to look to Him in faith instead of to the problem in anxiety and worry. Worry brings fear. Knowing that Jesus is the answer brings faith. If our faith is weak, let us look to the source of our faith. The Word tells us that “Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith”. Hebrews 12:2 There are many things we can do that are good, and productive. Worrying is not one of them.
May we trust Him, and never let our hearts, and minds be troubled for more than the time it takes for us to “cast our anxiety on Him”.
If something begins to weigh on our mind, let us be encouraged by the fact that we know where the answer is coming from. We may not know when, or how, but we know from where – because He cares for us.
Blessings and Love to you, and yours, God’s Beloveds.
Poppa B.
Abundant Life Christian Fellowship, On Line