1 Peter 5:6-7
(KJV)
7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
You may notice that my scripture reference includes verse 6 but that the verse is not included in my opening. If you continue to read this post, you will see why and understand.
Having grown up "in church" I have heard this verse quoted and re-quoted, and repeated, and re-repeated. I came to a point in my life where I really needed to cast my cares on God...and I realized, to my embarrassment and shame...I didn't know how.
I didn't know how!! I felt like I would "cast" them...and they would fall right back on me. Obviously, I was missing something.
Thankfully, since I did grow up "in church", I remembered something my dad always used to say about when you don't understand something in scripture, to look at the previous scripture(s) to figure it out. So, in my desperation, I read verse 6. Here is what it says...
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
Anyone who has read my blog all along, may know that God tends to speak to me in a sort of jumping out way. This was another one of those times.
First of all, I noticed that there was a colon at the end of verse 6. Now, I am not an English major or anything like that, but I do know that a colon means that a thought or concept is continued or explained. In this instance, verse 7 was never meant to stand on its own!
As I read verse 6, and I let it flow into verse 7, the jumping out part happened. One cannot cast care anywhere without first doing what verse 6 says to do. In fact, as I humbled myself under God's mighty hand that very day, (i.e. His power over and in my life), I found that my cares sort of cast themselves on Him! It was just a natural result of saying, God, I give my life to you, whatever You let me go through, whatever You put me through, I trust in Your power and Your timing. That is how you do it!!
I cannot sit here today and write this without confessing to having days of un-humbling myself. As a human with a finite perspective on things, it is a process that needs to be done regularly. My natural inclination is to worry and stress. But when I remember to take a minute to bow to His power and plan, I find the cares of life are lifted. I will never again hear verse 7 quoted without remembering and knowing that verse 6 must be done in order to cast my cares on Him. That's when, and only when I will know and sense the care He has for me.
Thankfully, since I did grow up "in church", I remembered something my dad always used to say about when you don't understand something in scripture, to look at the previous scripture(s) to figure it out. So, in my desperation, I read verse 6. Here is what it says...
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
Anyone who has read my blog all along, may know that God tends to speak to me in a sort of jumping out way. This was another one of those times.
First of all, I noticed that there was a colon at the end of verse 6. Now, I am not an English major or anything like that, but I do know that a colon means that a thought or concept is continued or explained. In this instance, verse 7 was never meant to stand on its own!
As I read verse 6, and I let it flow into verse 7, the jumping out part happened. One cannot cast care anywhere without first doing what verse 6 says to do. In fact, as I humbled myself under God's mighty hand that very day, (i.e. His power over and in my life), I found that my cares sort of cast themselves on Him! It was just a natural result of saying, God, I give my life to you, whatever You let me go through, whatever You put me through, I trust in Your power and Your timing. That is how you do it!!
I cannot sit here today and write this without confessing to having days of un-humbling myself. As a human with a finite perspective on things, it is a process that needs to be done regularly. My natural inclination is to worry and stress. But when I remember to take a minute to bow to His power and plan, I find the cares of life are lifted. I will never again hear verse 7 quoted without remembering and knowing that verse 6 must be done in order to cast my cares on Him. That's when, and only when I will know and sense the care He has for me.
