Casting your cares

By Winston Jude on July 04, 2022
Casting your cares

Understanding Anxiety

Anxiety often emerges from a desire for control. When we attempt to manage situations beyond our capacity, we find ourselves overwhelmed with worry and fear. This stems from a need to dictate outcomes, a legalistic mindset, and a false belief that our efforts solely lead to success. Ultimately, it reflects a lack of trust in God's faithful character - "emet".

The Greek word for anxiety, "merimnao," is closely linked to "merismos," meaning divided or separated. In essence, anxiety creates a divided mind, cluttered with uncertainties and lacking clarity. Conversely, faith is an unshakable trust in our unshakeable God.

Embracing God's Love

God's love for us knows no bounds. The Bible tells us that we are fathered by God. Just as a father shows compassion to his children, so does the Lord extend His love toward us. His affection for us transcends comprehension, as expressed in scriptures such as Psalm 103:11-13, 17 where the Bible compares His love for us to the height of the heavens above the earth.

The LORD appeared to me (Israel) from ages past, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness, I have drawn you and continued My faithfulness to you - Jeremiah 31:3 AMP

We can find solace in knowing that He watches over us with deep care and affection, as highlighted in 1 Peter 5:7. Notice how he cares about you with the deepest affection!

casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]. - 1 Pet 5:7 AMP

God loves you so much! There is a deep affection and love from the core of his heart. He watches over us so carefully, he adores, cherishes us, and enjoys simply watching over us. Isn't it beautiful to think about how true love just watches over us as we lay in bed sleeping every night? 1 John 4:16 tells us that God is love. If God is love, then child of God, let's see what Jesus looks like from 1 Corinthians 13:

  • Jesus endures with patience and serenity

  • He is kind and thoughtful and not jealous or envious

  • He does not brag and is not proud or arrogant

  • He is not rude, self-seeking, and not provoked easily

  • He does not take into account our wrongdoing when dealing with us

  • He does not rejoice at the injustice done to us but instead rejoices with the truth (when right and truth prevail)

  • He bears all things regardless of what comes, He continually believes in us at all times, He hopes all things and endures all things

  • He never fails. Prophecies may have failed, or tongues might not have worked, and your knowledge and all the good stuff may never have worked. But trust God because He will never fail and He never can fail.

He believes in us :')

Surrendering Control - God is sovereign over your life.

There are some great things we can learn from the story of Job. The story of Job serves as a poignant reminder of our limited control. Towards the end of the book of Job, God decides to question Job's understanding of him.

When I often worry and I am anxious, I read Job 41-43.It slaps me in the face, when I think that I can control situations beyond my natural ability. My response is always to simply give up control and put my trust in God.

Have you an arm like God, and can you thunder with a voice like His? - Job 40:9 ESV

If you read the verses that ensue, God says that if Job can do all of the above, then God himself will praise Job and acknowledge that his right hand can save him. We need to come to the end of ourselves and put our trust in God.

“[If you can do all this, Job, proving your divine power] then I [God] will also praise you and acknowledge that your own right hand can save you. - Job 40:14 AMP

Embracing God's Plans

casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]. - 1 Pet 5:7 AMP

As believers, we are assured of God's plans to prosper us. Despite Satan's attempts to derail us, we belong to God, and His plans for us are unshakable. Meditating on verses like Jeremiah 29:11 and Job 42:2 reaffirms our trust in God's divine providence. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that there's a hope and future in God's prosperous plans for us. Have faith. Remember:

  • Not one of God's plans can be thwarted Job 42:2
  • You can't save yourself Job 40:14
  • Tell me this: And who of you by worrying can add one hour to [the length of] his life? Matthew 6:27

Let it go child of God. Let God correct you tonight.

Verses to reflect on:

  • Reflect on Job 41:1 - 42:6 to gain perspective on God's response to suffering.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. - Isaiah 43:2 ESV

  • 1 Pet 5:7, Job 41-43 (God's response to Job's suffering) - internalize God's promises and sovereignty