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Tag: anxiety

  • Resting in the Bible amidst Anxiety

    Resting in the Bible amidst Anxiety

    Jesus extends this comforting invitation:

    “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28).

    These words seem so straightforward—just trust in Jesus. “I’ve already trusted Jesus for my salvation,” you answer. Yet, when anxious thoughts grip a believer, trusting feels anything but simple. But the Bible offers more than just this one insight on finding rest or peace in the Lord in the midst of trouble.

    Resting in the Lord isn’t passive or automatic, especially during crises. We often picture rest as being still or simply leaving our burdens at Jesus’ feet. Yet, Scripture teaches that to truly rest in the Lord during trials, we first need to cast all our worries on God, trusting that He cares deeply for us (1 Peter 5:7).

    Before we can find rest in Him, we must first know who He is and trust in His character and promises. Before we can rest, we need to first have a living faith like the Egyptian midwives, who feared God more than they feared Pharaoh. Before we can find rest and peace, we must first entrust ourselves and our loved ones to the Lord of heaven and earth, whom we know to be sovereign, wise, good, just, and holy. But how can we trust the Lord without knowing Him? And how can we know Him without immersing ourselves in Scripture?

    The Bible is an indispensable way that God ministers to us when troubles assail us from every side.

    Here are four places where I regularly find rest in the turmoil of life.

    1. The Psalms and Prophets.

    The Psalms and Prophets are filled with prayers that help us express our emotions, worship, and seek God in our need. If we are to follow God’s prescription for anxiety, and thereby experience the peace of God and the God of peace described in Philippians 4:6-7, the Psalms provide the perfect model for praying about everything, asking God for what we need, and thanking Him for what He has done.

    For example, Psalm 139 is a powerful prayer when facing anxious thoughts about the future. It reminds us that God knows, God sees, and God cares for us personally and individually. From before birth, He authored the days of our lives:

    In his time of distress, David prayed, “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:16)

    This Psalm is a prayer we can make our own, declaring that God is in control and our days are in His hands. Knowing that God is a personal God– all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful, and present everywhere– puts anxiety to rest.

    The Psalms help us re-align our anxious minds with God’s reality, so we can trust in what is unseen, rather than be overcome by what is seen.

    Psalm 27 reminds us that the Lord is our light, our salvation, our stronghold, our shelter, our rock. These are powerful visual symbols of God’s character. They help us regain perspective when our problems seem insurmountable, teaching us to seek safety in God’s presence, rather than just comfort or relief.

    Psalm 27 also gives us specific words to pray in these moments of crisis:
    “Hear my voice… Be merciful… Answer me… Do not hide your face… Do not turn away… Teach me your ways… Lead me in a straight path… Do not hand me over to my enemies.” (Psalm 27:7-12)

    The end of Psalm 27 gives us the bedrock for confidence:

    “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living!
    14 Wait for the Lord;
    be strong, and let your heart take courage;
    wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 27:13-14).

    This is what we need most of all when anxious thoughts grip us: To declare our confidence in the Lord’s goodness. To be strong and courageous in the Lord. To wait for the Lord. To rest in his provision and justice. In waiting we find rest.

    Here are some more words from King David and the prophet Isaiah that give me rest when tempted with anxiety:

    “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

    “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

    “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul.” (Psalm 23)

     

    1. God’s promises.

    Psalm 91 has been a treasury of God’s promises to me. David declares:

    “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
    2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

    This Psalm promises rest and refuge to God’s people amidst real threats. David doesn’t minimise these threats, but describes them vividly: Night terrors, arrows by day, pestilence stalking us in darkness and plague at midday. But the promise of rest and refuge is conditional: If we make the Most High our dwelling place…then God will rescue us because of his great love for us; He will protect us because we acknowledge his name; He will answer our cries when we call upon Him; He will be with us in trouble; He will deliver and honour us; He will satisfy us and show us his salvation.

    The conclusion of Psalm 91 is this: God promises to watch over those who actively put their trust in Him, especially in times of great stress and fear. His deliverance might not always be now or instant, but He will ultimately rescue His children. In the heat of trouble, His presence is our safe home and dwelling place. Because of these promises, we don’t need to worry, fret or fear. We can find rest in the Lord’s presence.

    Hebrews 13:5, Philippians 4:19 and Romans 8:38-39, are also promises worth banking, to enable us to rest in and through trials.

    1. Biblical Narratives

    The stories of real people in the Bible are not just historical accounts or myths— Paul says that the Old Testament stories were written down as examples for us, to warn us, and to help us in our own temptations and testings. (1 Corinthians 10:11.) Provided that we read them in context, biblical narratives are recorded to guide us through our own struggles and ultimately to lead us to Jesus.

    For example, in 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat faced a terrifying enemy invasion. In great fear, he gathered the people together to seek help from the Lord. His prayer is a wonderful example of how to acknowledge our weakness and God’s strength. It’s a cry for help when you feel completely powerless. It ends like this:

    “O God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do…but our eyes are upon you. All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord. Their eyes were on the Lord.”

    “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” Aren’t those perfect words to pray to God in our time of need?

    God responded to Jehoshaphat, “Do not be afraid… the battle is not yours, but God’s… the Lord will be with you.” Jehoshaphat’s story teaches us five powerful lessons in crisis:

    • Seek God first.
    • Declare who God is and stand firmly on His promises.
    • Keep your eyes on the Lord, not circumstances.
    • Worship, sing, and pray with God’s people.
    • Let your crisis lead you to Christ, the Warrior King who fights for you.

    The powerful Exodus narrative also reminds us that God hears our cries, remembers His promises, sees our pain, and knows our struggles (Exodus 2:23-25).

    … “And the sons of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry for help because of their bondage rose up to God. So God heard their groaning; and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  God saw the sons of Israel, and God took notice of them.” Note:

    1. God heard their groanings…2. God remembered his covenant with his people…3. God saw them…4. God knew them.

    Don’t we also need to be assured of these four truths? The Exodus from Egypt is one of the most epic stories of deliverance, telling us why we can entrust ourselves to God’s loving care. But God sent an infinitely greater Moses, his own beloved Son to deliver us from slavery to sin. Jesus has already secured our freedom from our most dreadful enemies—sin and death. He is our ultimate Redeemer.

    And because of Christ, you and I can be confident that, even as we hurt and fear, are oppressed and afflicted, laden with heavy burdens… He hears our groanings, He remembers his covenant with us, He sees our pain…He knows all about it. He is familiar with suffering. And He died on the cross to do something about it.

    Here is a reality check for us to ponder as we seek rest amidst trouble:

    “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)

    4. The Words of Jesus.

    Jesus not only promised to give us ultimate rest from our sin and striving, but he also showed believers how to find rest in a broken world. Jesus addressed one of the biggest causes of anxiety —fear of the future. He reminded us not to worry, but rather to focus on today, trusting our heavenly Father to provide for tomorrow.

    “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matt 6:25-34)

    In an age of anxiety, Jesus’s words remind us to carefully choose what we focus on and take it one day at a time. Fixing our minds on what is true and right helps to keep our eyes on God’s love and care, especially when fear and anxiety threaten to overwhelm us (Philippians 4:8). It’s the way that we take captive every thought to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor 10:5). Through the pages of the Bible, Jesus speaks words of comfort and courage when we feel overwhelmed. We hear whispers of his voice, “Peace, be still!”

    Anchor in the storm.

    I’ve experienced this myself recently. Anxiety has been knocking at my door, desiring to master me. I wake up in the night, my heart racing, feeling gripped by panic. There are so many “what ifs” swirling in my mind, sucking me into their vortex. I won’t bore you with the details, but the source of my fear is real and potent, and I am tempted to become anxious. But God commands me to be anxious for nothing (Phil 4:6) and to cast all my anxiety on Him (1 Peter 5:7). He commands me not to fret or worry, but instead to commit my way to the Lord, to wait patiently for Him, to hope and take delight in Him (Psalm 37:1, 5-7; Matt 5:25). The Lord will never command what He cannot empower.

    God is faithfully meeting me in His Word, stilling my heart day by day. It’s not an instant cure, but each day, the Bible gives me words to pray when I can’t find my own. It gives me reasons to be thankful, to delight in God, and to trust Him. My daily readings provide the sword I need to battle anxiety and the strength to face another day without being consumed by worry. Without the Bible’s anchor, I would be cast adrift at sea.

    In seasons of trouble, it is in the pages of Scripture that we find rest—rest that only Christ can give. The Bible is an indispensable first aid kit that God has provided to minister to us when anxiety threatens. It is an anchor in stormy seas.

    Do you know it? Do you use it? Are you finding rest in God’s word?

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Biblical prescriptions for mental health, Part 2.

    Biblical prescriptions for mental health, Part 2.

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    A Special Invitation.

    By Rosie Moore.

    “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

    In Paul’s letter to the Philippian believers, the apostle calls his readers to learn from his example, so that “the God of peace will be with you” too (Phil 4:9). Last week, we looked at God’s promise of peace to “guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” and we explored the nature of this peace in the life of Paul.

    From Paul’s own life and example, I think we can infer that it is our Father’s will for all his children to experience divine peace, even in the midst of the lowest lows and regardless of our personality type. But Paul also gives clear instructions on how this peace is to be secured and enjoyed daily.

    How often do we expect to experience God’s peace without following his prescription of prayer?

    Prayer.

    The Bible shows followers of Christ the way up when we’re down. It’s to replace fretful, cyclical thoughts with prayer—prayer directed to our caring Father who has redeemed us by his Son. And so, anxious thoughts are actually a powerful invitation to approach the throne of grace and to pray in the name of Jesus.

    Over centuries, prayer has always been the way up for needy believers. David’s prayers provide many templates for our own prayers, especially when we’re battling to find words to express ourselves. Here are just a few examples out of hundreds in the Psalms:

    “But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory and the lifter of my head” (Ps 3:3).

    “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed spirit.” (Ps 34:17-18)

    “I waited patiently for the Lord;
        he turned to me and heard my cry.
    2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
        out of the mud and mire;
    he set my feet on a rock
        and gave me a firm place to stand.
    3 He put a new song in my mouth,
        a hymn of praise to our God.
    Many will see and fear the Lord
        and put their trust in him. (Ps 40:1-3)

     Even though I walk
        through the darkest valley,
    I will fear no evil,
        for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
        they comfort me (Ps 23:4).

    A special invitation.

    I wonder how our lives would be transformed if we saw each of our cares as a special invitation to call on the Lord in our weakness? Imagine if we saw each worry as a renewed challenge to trust in God’s promises to comfort and care for us? (1 Peter 5:7).

    After all, didn’t Christ himself invite us to come to him for rest, “all who labour and are heavy laden” (Matt 11:28)?

    It’s no wonder our hearts and minds are guarded by God’s transcendent peace when we pray:

    Prayer makes Jesus big and our problems small by comparison. In talking to Creation’s King, we are transported out of the echo chamber of our babbling thoughts and disordered priorities. Through our needy prayers, we experience forgiveness from sin and a true perspective of ourselves and the greatness and glory of God. We acknowledge and worship the the one true God, which is our highest and greatest need as human beings.

    But many people today confuse prayer with mystical, mindless forms of ‘spirituality’ that masquerade as Christianity. Prayer is not what is touted as ‘mindfulness,’ ‘meditation’ or ‘practicing the presence of God’. These are unbiblical concepts that do not resemble the many hundreds of prayers recorded in the Bible or Christ’s express teachings on prayer.

    Prayer is not mindless repetition or rubbing the genie lamp, as if we’re trying to manufacture peace or twist God’s arm. Moreover, prayer is also not always what we feel like doing.

    The Bible teaches that when God’s people pray, we pour out our hearts to Him in faith, making specific requests for the sake of Jesus, who died for us. We look outside of ourselves for help, not to our own inner wisdom, but to our heavenly Father on whom we rely for everything.

    If this is true, then we needn’t ever feel timid about our prayers, even in a group. Should a young child who is learning language feel shy of their flawed speech? Our heartfelt prayers will always be good enough for the Lord, who promises never to despise the prayers of his people. His Spirit will edit our faltering prayers with groans too deep for words (Rom 8:26-27).

    And so, there is no unworthiness that can disqualify us from prayer if we are covered by the blood and righteousness of Christ. God accepts our prayers because of Jesus, our great High Priest. When we obey God’s prescription to pray instead of fretting, He will use our worries to grow our faith and transform us to be more like His perfect Son.

    Supplication

    Secondly, Paul prescribes supplication. By adding supplication, Paul is reminding us that we are not to give up praying just because we don’t get an instant response.

    Supplication isn’t a quick bedtime or mealtime prayer, but a request from a place of deep humility and desperation, out of acute need and inadequacy. Since God has created us to love him and long for him, when we plead his grace over our lives, we are expressing our dependence on him.

    Supplication builds and requires faith, precisely because it isn’t instant and is always subject to God’s will. Supplications attach us to God’s heart, regardless of whether or when we get exactly what we’ve asked for.

    Supplications are persistent requests, like the wrestling of Jacob on the banks of the Jabbok river, when he prayed fervently for God’s blessing (Gen 32:9-12; 24-28). Or like the barren Hannah when she prayed for a baby. “In bitterness of soul, Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord” (1 Sam 1:10-11). God heard Hannah’s supplication and gave her Samuel.

    One of my favourite stories of supplication is the healing of Bartimaeus, the blind man. Remember how the crowd tried to silence him because he kept calling out to Jesus? But he stubbornly refused to stop his supplications.

    “He cried all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus did not get annoyed or call Bartimaeus a God-botherer. Instead, he stopped and healed the desperate man (Mark 10:47-52).

    Similarly, Jesus praised the Canaanite woman who showed persistence and fervency in her supplications. She too cried out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”

    Even after Jesus seemed to put her off twice, the gentile woman refused to let him go, but knelt before him, “Lord, help me!” she said quietly. The woman prayed boldly until Jesus responded, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted” (Matt 15:22-28).

    Jesus expressly taught supplication. He said that we should persist in asking for what we need with “shameless audacity” or “impudence” (Luke 11:8), like a trusting child nags a good father (Matt 7:9-11). Jesus said that in our prayers, we should not just ask, but also seek and knock, expecting our Heavenly Father to answer us (Matt 7:7).

    And so, provided that our requests aren’t sinful, we ought to continue to pray, just as Paul pleaded three times for the thorn in his flesh to be removed (2 Cor 12:8-10). Paul only stopped when he knew that God’s power would be made perfect in his weakness. This was to save Paul from conceit and to demonstrate the Lord’s strength in his weakness.

    The content of our prayers and supplications.

    Jesus provides the greatest example of supplication for us to follow.

    Not long before his death, Christ prayed throughout the night and we have a record of that desperate supplication in John 17. Firstly, Christ asked that God be glorified, and secondly, that God’s people would grow in obedience. Thirdly, He asked for strength for himself and his followers to stay faithful as they faced the great trials ahead (John 17:1, 5, 17). Christ’s supplication in John 17 shows us the most important petitions we need to ask for when we pray, for these are our deepest needs too.

    And so, even if we are not delivered fully from mental or physical illness, the Lord will give us the strength and courage to keep moving forward, to stay faithful and to keep glorifying God in our lives. Whatever God’s reasons for delaying or giving us a different answer than the one we hoped for, we can keep praying for the grace to follow Him more fully. The process of supplication is always good for our soul and our sanctification.

    In supplication, it’s good to start by praising and thanking God, to focus ourselves on the character and holiness of God. Then to confess our sins and ask God to reveal the sins we haven’t seen. Then to lay our requests and burdens down at the foot of the cross.

    Moreover, the Bible promises that if we pray persistently for wisdom and the Holy Spirit, we can be sure that our Father will grant our requests (Luke 11:13; James 1:5-6). We must not give up asking for these promised gifts.

    Prayer precedes Peace.

    A woman I know related some of her own experience of God’s peace following prayer and supplication. I hope her testimony will encourage you to lay down your burdens as she did:

    “I often battle with insomnia. I wake up at around 2 o’ clock feeling overcome by anxious thoughts. The more my mind spins, the less I sleep, and the less I sleep, the more my mind hurtles out of control. It’s a vicious cycle I have no power to escape, no matter how much I try to mute the noisy circus of elephants rampaging in my head. I always seem to have so many things to worry about.

    Eventually I realized that I needed to take Paul’s instruction in Philippians 4 seriously. I confessed my sins to God. I admitted that I was not obeying His clear word, nor trusting Him with my life. I was guilty of the sin of unbelief and misplaced priorities. I was too much like anxious Martha instead of peaceful Mary. I was listening to Satan instead of the Lord, fearing man instead of God. Then I specifically asked for the Spirit’s help the next time the circus came to town.

    This began the most refreshing times of undisturbed, quiet communion with the Lord and a habit I never want to abandon.

    Nowadays, the moment I wake up, I don’t waste time stewing fruitlessly in my bed. I accept Christ’s invitation to pray. I get out of bed and tiptoe to the kitchen to make a cup of tea and light a fire. I sit with a candle (so I don’t wake myself up too much), and read a few Psalms out loud. Then I give thanks to God and pray through each of my problems and fears one by one:

    All the things I can’t control or make sense of, I tell God all about them, no-holds-barred, totally uncensored. All the people I can’t save; all the messy knots I can’t undo; all the wicked injustices and pain in the world that I can’t stop; all my responsibilities and plans; all the people I love; all the good things I long for. I lay them all on the table like a pack of cards, until there’s not a single one left to play tricks on my mind.

    Honestly, my prayers aren’t profound or full of faith at all. They’re often in a jumble and I can’t think of the right words to say. Sometimes I cry and plead with the Lord to change my perceptions and the motivations, as I don’t like the things that drive my heart. Sometimes I just pray Psalms to the Lord and leave it at that. I can’t do it better than those prayers of David when he was in trouble.

    But my prayers in the night are always followed by a profound peace and deep sleep that I cannot explain. Nothing’s changed, but my mind feels light, tidy and swept clean. Prayer isn’t a once-off victory, but a continuous struggling and unburdening of my worries in his presence. It always takes several weeks before the circus leaves town and I’m able to sleep through the night again.”

    I think the prophet Isaiah perfectly captures this woman’s sense of peace which follows prayer: “You will be kept in perfect peace, all whose thoughts are fixed on you.” (Isa 26:3)

    Sources and further reading:

    Gerald Bilkes, How can I stop worrying? Reformation Heritage Books, 2018.

    Edward Welch, Depression—The Way up When You Are Down, P&R Publishing, 2000.

    Lydia Brownback, Philippians– Living for Christ, Crossway, 2022.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”#ffffff” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”5%” padding_right=”5%” hundred_percent=”yes” equal_height_columns=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_3″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”center center” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_imageframe lightbox=”no” gallery_id=”” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”none” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”none” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] [/fusion_imageframe][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”2_3″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding=”2%” margin_top=”2%” margin_bottom=”2%” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Receive our latest devotion in your Inbox[/fusion_title][fusion_code]Q2xpY2sgZWRpdCBidXR0b24gdG8gY2hhbmdlIHRoaXMgY29kZS4=[/fusion_code][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”#ffffff” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”5%” padding_right=”5%” hundred_percent=”yes” equal_height_columns=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Other devotions from the God Walk…[/fusion_title][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_recent_posts layout=”default” hover_type=”none” columns=”3″ number_posts=”6″ offset=”” cat_slug=”devotion” exclude_cats=”” thumbnail=”yes” title=”yes” meta=”no” excerpt=”yes” excerpt_length=”0″ strip_html=”yes” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][/fusion_recent_posts][fusion_text]– more devotions –[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

  • Casting every care

    Casting every care

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    “Cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

    1 Peter 5:7 is a favourite verse often quoted as an antidote to stress and worry. It is a timeless reminder to Christians to pray with utter dependence on our loving Father, no matter what our circumstances. The idea of casting is to literally throw our cares on the Lord, and to leave them with him, instead of trying to carry, control or retrieve them ourselves. But if we return this text to its rightful place in Peter’s letter, we see that this chapter is about shepherding God’s people through intense persecution. Peter’s main instruction to these suffering believers is to humble themselves under God’s mighty hand. It was only with this attitude of childlike trust that they could genuinely cast all their cares upon the Lord, knowing that he cared for them.

    Let’s read this passage with humility and ask the Lord to show us what to do with our own anxious thoughts:

    Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 5:5-11).

    A common condition and a timeless remedy

    Peter’s original readers faced a set of uncontrollables that we can hardly imagine. They feared losing their homes, livelihoods, communities and lives at the whim of those who opposed their faith. Scattered as foreigners, they lived under constant threat for themselves and their loved ones. The threats were real, not imagined. In contrast, we worry about things that may never happen, past regrets that we cannot change, perceptions that aren’t true, and health and material issues that are, ironically, made worse by our worrying. Only a fraction of our concerns are in fact real and serious problems. But, Christians in every context have this in common with Peter’s original readers: All our daily cares can quickly morph into anxieties that choke us. The only antidote is a constant, childlike trust in God’s loving providence.

    “Do not be anxious” was the timeless and unequivocal command of Jesus too (Matt 6:25-34). Peter’s instruction in 1 Peter 5:6-7 is like entrusting a loved one to a skilled surgeon, allowing a pilot to fly your plane or handing over your precious backpack to a sherpa to carry it safely to the top of a mountain. But of course, all these analogies break down because no human being is sovereign over every detail of the universe. No person is perfectly good, strong or wise, and there is no one on earth who cares for us as our Father does. Only the Lord Jesus could die in our place to become the Rock on whom we rest all our burdens. The cross is the ultimate proof that our lives matter to God.

    In this text, Peter not only alludes to the common condition and the timeless remedy of anxiety, but also to a common source.

    Wiser than God?

    Our culture would be horrified to draw a connection between anxiety and pride, but Peter isn’t. He contrasts God’s attitude towards the proud and humble in the same breath as his instruction to cast our cares on the Lord (1 Peter 5:5-7). Before we dismiss this as overly simplistic or harsh, let’s think through some of the outcomes of humility and pride in our own lives. I can personally vouch for the ones on pride:

    Pride tells us we must depend on ourselves and meet our own needs. Pride believes the lie that we can control our lives and convince God to give us what we want. Pride thinks we know what’s best. Pride is entitled, and insists on our comfort, certainty and reputation. In pride, we boast of tomorrow’s gains (James 4:13-15).

    In contrast, when we humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand, we willingly place ourselves under His providence. We remember that hardship is a normal part of Christ’s call to die to self, shared by all His followers in every generation (1 Peter 5:9; Luke 14:27; 33; Luke 9:23-24). We trust that our ultimate exaltation will come when the Lord Jesus, our Chief Shepherd returns (1 Peter 5:4;10). We know we can’t help ourselves, so we welcome God’s mighty hand as the helping hand of a parent or shepherd, not an oppressor. We believe that God will keep his promises in His good time, not ours (1 Peter 5:6).

    A little while

    Trusting God’s promises requires humility. History tells us that some of Peter’s readers would be strengthened and delivered by God’s grace in their lifetimes, but many would only be released from suffering in their deaths. The promise that God would exalt them in due time was not a guarantee of rescue from their troubles. Yet, Peter dares to say that in comparison with eternity, their suffering would last only “a little while” (1 Peter 5:10).

    If Peter called these persecuted Christians to have an eternal perspective and childlike trust in the God of all grace, is this not our antidote to anxiety too? 

    Of course, none of us has perfect faith. Nor did Peter, or his readers. At best, we cry out to Jesus like the bewildered dad of the demon-possessed boy, “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). The important thing is to cast our cares on Christ anyway. The alternative is to be choked by them little by little.

    Choked by cares

    Peter implicitly warns us that anxiety is a dangerous state in which to live, as it leaves us in a self-focussed, vulnerable place where we are easy prey for Satan’s attacks (1 Peter 5:8). We cannot be watchful, resist the devil and remain firm and fruitful in our faith while choked by worry (1 Peter 5:9; Mark 4:19). That’s why we need to cast off each day’s burdens on the Lord. As George MacDonald puts it, “No man ever sank under the burden of the day. It is when tomorrow’s burden is added to today’s burden that the weight is more than a man can bear. Never load yourself so.”

    If the stakes are this high, it’s worth asking God each day to unmask our anxious thoughts, so that we can actively cast them on Him in prayer.

    This passage is one of my favourites, because I have a tendency to worry about many things. It’s one thing for me to know intellectually that God is sovereign and that he cares for me, but it’s quite another thing to actually get on my knees and lay out my cares, one by one, before the Lord in prayer. “Casting all our cares” is a deliberate, no-holds-barred action that is often difficult and the last thing we feel like doing. It’s easier and more natural to fret than to pray! But the wonderful effect of this kind of casting is the peace that follows it. It’s a peace that transcends rational understanding– a heart assurance that God is in control and cares for us. When we make a daily habit of casting all our cares, big and small, on the Lord, prayer will become more instinctive and our concerns will be stopped in their tracks before they grow into full-fledged worry.

    “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” (Isa 26:3).

    Prayer

    Father, you say that we must not be anxious for anything, but rather pray with thanksgiving and offer our requests to you. So, we thank you that you care for us and know each of our concerns. Thank you that you are always good, powerful and faithful– our constant provider, counsellor and refuge. Thank you that your purposes are always good–to make us wiser, deeper and more  Christ-like. Jesus, thank you that you are our Chief Shepherd. We want to trust you utterly, but our faith often wavers through fear and pride. By your Spirit and your Word, unmask our anxious thoughts and false lenses through which we see our lives. Forgive us for doubting you and for thinking we are wiser than you. Today we humble ourselves under your mighty hand and cast our cares on you, because you care for us. To you be the dominion forever and ever, Amen.

    Worship

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