Casting all our cares
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:6-7 CSB
Peter gives another exhortation in a series of instructions near the end of his epistle. Verse 6 relates to the preceding verse because of the connective adverb “therefore.” Peter continues to urge the believers to humble themselves. In the previous verse the apostle instructs the recipients to be humble toward one another. But in verse 6, he encourages them to be humble before God (see James 4:10). As man must love both God and man (Matthew 22:37–39), so he must demonstrate humility toward God and man. Peter wants the readers to subject themselves to God in such a manner that they put their confidence in God alone. They should know that God cares for them and wants them to be completely dependent on him. Because of the trials the believers endure, there is danger that they may lose courage to persevere. Even though God will not test Christians beyond their endurance, they realize that human resilience has limits. Therefore, Peter encourages the readers and tells them that God responds to their humility with acclaim. God never forsakes His own, but often in the nick of time He lifts them up and gives them the victory. The believer who puts his trust in the Lord knows that God upholds this world and is in full control of every situation. This is why Peter tells the believers to cast their cares on God. In true humility and trust in God, the Christian throws all his anxieties on the Lord. The Greek word for “anxiety” means “to be drawn in different directions.” Anxiety has a devastating effect on our lives and results from our loss of confidence and assurance. If we doubt, we assume the burden of worries and thus demonstrate a lack of faith. Therefore, Peter urges us to cast our worries on God and to trust in Him. The verb to cast signifies the act of exerting effort to fling something away from ourselves. It describes a deliberate act. Once we have entrusted God all our anxieties, we know that He cares for us. In both the Old and New Testaments God’s promise to care for his children is sure. “Be strong and courageous; don’t be terrified or afraid of them. For the Lord your God is the one who will go with you; he will not leave you or abandon you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6). “‘For he himself has said, ‘I will never leave you or abandon you’” (Hebrews 13:5).
Blessings,
Isaac De Guzman
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