Casting all your care upon God

 

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SUNDAY 7 JANUARY 2024 am

1 Peter 5 verses 1 – 11

Motto verse for year: “Casting all your care upon him for he careth for you.” Verse 7

Doctors tell us that many problems affecting many people in today’s society are related to anxiety.  Anxiety is no respecter of person – it strikes the rich and the poor, the healthy and the unhealthy, the educated as well as the uneducated, the Christian as well as the non-Christian.  What are the causes of anxiety?  Some say it can be learned by example – if a man or a woman struggles about many things it is probable that their children can be too.  It can stem from childhood conflicts, present day problems, inferiority, poverty, poor health, death, loneliness, the future and a host of other possibilities.  They can build up in someone’s mind causing extreme anxiety.  Not everyone will react in the same way.  Different people will react differently.  Some are never anxious at all.  For some people there are a multitude of things that cause anxiety, for others it is only one thing.  There are some people within the medical profession who have studied the problem at length and are able to deal with it.  But they can only control not adequately fully deal with it.  We can see the effects and how people respond to it.  They never provide a solution to the problem.  The calendar tells us there are 7 days in a week but really there are only 3.  Well you might say “how do you make that out?”  There are actually only 2 days in a week that should never cause us to worry about – yesterday can never be changed and the other one is tomorrow – no man has the power to affect tomorrow.  We should only be thinking about today which can be faced with God’s help.  “Many things about tomorrow I don’t understand but I know who holds tomorrow and I know who holds my hand.”  What does God’s word say about anxiety and what to do when the heart is heavy with the cares of life?  1 Peter 5 verse 7 "casting all your care upon him for he careth for you.”  As we look at this text there are 3 simple points to be noted.

The problem – “casting all your care.”  We should note that word “care”.  It means everything that causes us to worry, that burdens us down from day to day.  Peter is calling them to a caution here to those who were worried and anxious.  They were to take note of the fact that trials would come and cause great care and distress.  The problems of life are inevitable. They have come in the past and will come again  in the coming year.  No where does it say we are exempt from trials.  There are no attempt in scriptures to downplay the reality that problems exist.  On the contrary, the word tells us that while we remain in this world problems will stop us.  Job endured many great problems and gave a very accurate description of man’s life – Job 14 verse 1 “Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.”  There are many examples of men and women in the bible who faced great trials that developed into cares, concern and anxiety.  Think of Jacob who left his home to escape the anger of his brother Esau.  He claimed he had stolen his birthright and the blessing.  When Jacob came home again he heard Esau was coming with 400 men.  At this point he was immediately filled with anxiety expecting a battle with his brother.  Genesis 32 verse 7 “Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people that was with him and the flocks and herds and the camels, into two bands.”  The cause of this anxiety he faced was as a result of broken relationships and guilty consciences.  There are many with similar anxiety in our world today.  Queen Esther is another example of someone who experienced anxiety.  The Jewish people were told of a law about to be passed that would mean they could be executed.  She was planning to risk her own life on behalf of her own people.  Esther 4 verse 4 “Then was the queen exceedingly grieved.”  She faced death and an unknown future.  That is one of the key elements of anxiety.  The caution to be observed.  The command to be obeyed – “casting all your cares upon him.”  Don’t become overwhelmed with anxiety.  When it comes to worrying about the problems of life we face the Lord has one thing to say – don’t.  We must ask ourselves the question – why worry?  I am not suggesting not worrying or not caring about anything.  There are certain issues in life that would cause concern or worry.  It is how we deal with that worry on our minds.  It can fester and cause great anxiety.  Scriptures does teach to some degree that tension in a believers life is in some way necessary for growth and achievement.  1 Peter 1 verse 7.  Growth is sometimes brought about by trials.  The tension of the violin strings must be tuned in proper proportions if the violinist is going to play well.  The archer must pull his arrow back and let it go if he is going to hit the target.  Peter tells his readers “casting all your care upon him.”  What is the alternative if we do not want to be anxious or worried about the cares?

Secondly see the prayer in our text – “casting all your care upon him.”  Casting means giving all the problems, past present and future to the Lord rather than worrying.  We are to seek the Lord in prayer.  We are to acknowledge who he is, what he is able to do.  The one to whom nothing is impossible.  Prayer reveals the picture of a weak child seeking the security of a parent.  Ultimately the believer leaves the worries and cares of life behind, to be honest in the presence of almighty God.  When we get our eyes off our troubles and can focus them on our heavenly father then as he grows larger in our hearts our problems grow smaller in our minds.  When troubles assail in your life we have the ability and access to escape the world of care into the world of prayer.  We can literally go to a place where troubles, sorrows and worries can follow.  Prayer should be the key of the day and the lock of the night.  God wants us as his children to pray passionately and fervently.  To pray about things that move their souls.  Pray about the things that touch their hearts – James 5 verse 16 “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”  It is worth noting that Peter was calling on his readers to cast all their care upon the Lord. Not just a few things but casting all your cares upon him.  We pray but the question must be asked – how do we pray?  Specifically and routinely about the things that arise in our lives?. We are good at praying around the issues but not specifically.  We must approach God in heaven in a detailed and specific manner.  He has promised to hear us – Jeremiah 33 verse 3 “Call unto me and I will answer thee and show thee mighty things which thou knowest not.”  Peter is telling his readers to take everything to God in prayer. There is nothing too small or too big we cannot bring to the Lord in prayer.  He cares about the big things in life as well as the small things. We must learn to bring all things to God in prayer.  Joseph Scriven was born in Ireland in 1820 and educated in Trinity College Dublin.  He was engaged to be married but the evening before his marriage his fiancé was drowned.  It caused Joseph to begin to follow the teachings of Plymouth Brethren.  He moved to Canada to be a teacher.  He was again engaged to be married when tragedy struck again.  His wife to be passed away from an illness shortly before their marriage.  One day Scriven wrote the words “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to be bear, what  privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer.”  If you have not been bringing things to God in prayer start today.  Call upon him.

Thirdly the promise – verse 7 “for he careth for you.”  This is the reason why we should bring every care and concern to the Lord in prayer.  He watches over us.  He cares for us.  His promise to all who put their trust in him is that he will care for them.  It is wonderful to think he cares for us.  We are privileged.  All our anxieties can be cast on him knowing he cares for us.  The one who remembers the fallen sparrow and hears the ravens when they cry – how will he not be unmindful to us?  Psalm 40 verse 17 “but I am poor and needy yet the Lord thinketh upon me.”  What more could a believer ask for than to know he is never forgotten by God, by the great “I am”.  The world may despise us, the high and mighty may look down on us, the rich forsake us but we can always remember that God will always be mindful of us.  The problems and trials of life have come upon us and we have more to face this incoming year.  How are we going to deal with our anxieties and cares?  When we cast our worry and fear on the Lord.  We must bring the trials of life to him in prayer.  He cares for us therefore he will give us courage to face them, wisdom to understand the situations we are facing.  He gives us the strength to do what we have to do and the faith to leave the rest to him.  “Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee.”  Many years ago a pilot was making a flight around the world.  He heard the noise in his aeroplane and recognised it as the nibbling of a rat.  While his plane was on the ground the rat had managed to find his way in.  For all the pilot knew he could be nibbling through vital cables that controlled the plane.  He became deeply disturbed.  Then he remembered that rats are not made for heights. They are made to live on the ground and beneath the ground.  He began to climb the plane higher.  He went up 1000 feet then another until he was at 2000 feet in the air and the nibbling stopped.  Some hours later he landed safely on the landing field.  He found the dead rat.  Dear friend worry and anxiety is like a rat.  It will nibble and niggle at you and it will destroy your life and steal your joy.  Worry and anxiety cannot survive in the secret place of the most high.  It cannot live in an atmosphere saturated in prayer and influence of the word of God.  Our worry, fear and anxiety will vanish when we flee to the Lord in prayer.  “Casting all your care upon him for he careth for you.”