Cast All Your Cares

“”Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,   
that He may exalt you at the proper time,
casting all your anxiety on Him,
because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7

When our kids were little there was a song by the singing Bible, Psalty, using this verse.  It still sticks in my head today reminding me to cast all my cares upon God.  I love that.  When you cast something, you are throwing it far away from you.  You lose control of it.  It is released and you can’t bring it back.  Now, I learned to cast my hook when I fish and I did have a choice whether to bring it back, how quickly to draw it in, or to let it sit until a big ol’ fish chomped it!  I wish casting our cares upon God would be the let go of type of casting, but I know that for me, I often choose to reel it back in and chomp on it a bit myself! 

In order to truly cast my cares away and release them, my heart must be in a position of humility.   The verse says to, “…humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God…”  That description of God helps me to humble myself.  Because God’s hand is mighty it can truly handle my situations and concerns.  His hand is able to do what I cannot.  His hand is willing to bring about the right outcome that is best for me in the eternal perspective.  He is a Father that cares for His children.  He is good.  I can humble myself  under His mighty hand, because I can trust His heart!

 Remembering how Big God is and how small I am is a good place to start when casting our cares upon Him!  He controls the Universe, I can’t even control my own emotions, tongue, or thoughts at times!  He has a forever plan.  I do good to plan dinner before the 5:00 hour hits. He rules over nations.  I rule over my home when everyone wants to cooperate!  I think I can trust Him to handle my anxieties! 

Notice the last part of that verse.  We can throw our anxieties upon God, because He cares for you.  Not because He cares for mankind.  Or cares to make all things right.  Or cares to look good.  Or cares to makes sure that we are happy and face no uncertainties or calamities.  No, He cares for you – up front and personal.  He cares about your bad hair day (He has them all numbered); He cares about your days and your hurts and your heartaches and your plans and your concerns and your anxieties and everything to do with you!  He cares - not to have gossip to share, not to learn how to make you miserable - He cares so that He can heal the brokenhearted (Psalm 147:3) and bind up the wounds of His children.  He cares so that He can comfort us (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).  He cares so that we may grow in Him and depend upon Him and love Him.  He cares.

 I am choosing to cast my cares upon God.   My cares aren’t globally impactful.  They aren’t about fame and fortune.  They are just the ordinary cares of a wife, mom, and Christian in 2012.  But God cares.  They are important to Him because I am important to Him!  I will cast and let go (at least for a few minutes until I find I have to cast them again!)  I will keep casting them because the mighty hand of God of the Universe cares for me!  He cares for you, too!  I used to tease my mother-in-law that God answered her prayers because she prayed at 4:30 in the morning and she had God’s undivided attention!  But God is so big that we all have His undivided attention all the time.  Call upon Him in your hurt and confusion, your anger, your discouragement.  He is there for you!

Hint of the Day: Write your cares down on a piece of paper or on a helium balloon.  Cast the paper into the ocean, a river , or another body of water or release your balloon into the sky.  You can’t retrieve them.  Let them go and let God!