In the book of 1 Peter chapter 5 verses 6 and 7 God says "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's Mighty hand that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."
Casting our anxieties on God is part of humbling ourselves. By humbling ourselves we are acknowledging that God is indefinitely holy and powerful and wise. When I bow down and step under the mighty hand of God, I am admitting that God knows everything about me and my future and that He is trustworthy. So before we cast our anxiety on Him, let us humble ourselves under the most powerful hands of God.
The word "cast" means to 'throw something forcefully in a specified direction'. The same word ‘cast’ is used in Luke 19 verse 35 where it says "they _cast_ or threw their clothes on the colt and put Jesus on it on the occasion of Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Can we throw the garments of our anxiety on to Him? Jesus wants to carry your anxieties. He is willing to carry your anxieties the same way a donkey carries your baggage. God commands us to let Him work for us. In Matthew chapter 11 verse 28 Jesus says "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." The Bible says in Psalm 55: 22, "Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you." Isaiah 46:4 says, "Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He and I will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you. I will sustain you and I will rescue you."
My dear brother/ sister, God cares for you. Trust Him. He cares about the things that worry you. Trust Him for handling any specific situation you are going through right now. He promises to lift you up in 'due time'.
Humbling yourself also involves waiting for God's time. By humbling yourself, you are telling God, "Yes Lord, I believe that you have already provided a solution for my problem. I may not know it or see it now but in your due time I will see it with my own eyes. .
As Moses was leading the Israelites into the desert they had to go for three days without finding water. Imagine traveling on foot and going for three days without water. It was a life-threatening situation. Finally they came to some water and their hopes skyrocketed only to be dashed by the bitterness of the water. It was undrinkable. The Israelites grumbled against Moses. Moses in turn cried out to God. God showed Moses a tree and he cut a piece of wood from the tree and threw it into the water. Immediately the water was made sweet and the Israelites were able to drink it.
Dear child of God, you may be complaining about your unpleasant circumstances right now but let me encourage you. God has already provided a solution for your problem. God knew about the bitter waters of Mara and He had already provided the solution to it in the form of a tree. The tree was already there but the Israelites came to know about it only at the 'due time'. Your due time is coming. Whatever the bitter obstacles that we encounter in life journey, we can count on God to transform them for our good. When we cry our Maras out to God, God is able to sweeten them. So humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and cast all your anxieties on God because He cares for you. *Anxieties are to be cast, not carried*.
May God bless you all richly in 2017.
