Cast Your Fears on God

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Scripture: 1 Peter 5:7 (ESV)

7 casting all your anxieties on him because he cares for you.

Devotion:

            This brief scripture contains a powerful truth. God wants us to cast all our fears and anxieties on Him. This sounds simple, but in reality, it may be one of the hardest things to do found in all of the Bible. For some reason, we humans can become very attached to our fears and the anxieties that they produce. We would rather take medication to calm our fears and anxieties than deal with them by giving them over to God. We like the illusion of control this gives us over our bodies.

            As a result, we are among the most medicated people in the world. We pop anti-depressants and anti-anxiety pills as if they were candy. It gives us a feeling of control over these unwanted feelings. I am not saying that there are no legitimate uses for these drugs, but I am only stating that we, many times, overuse these medicines. Our medical profession is all too eager to write a prescription rather than find the cause of the discomfort the patient is feeling. What to do, then, when we suffer from depression and anxiety?

            Prayer and seeking God in times of mental and emotional distress is often the last resort for us. The scripture above gives us essential instructions in this regard: prayer and seeking God should be our first line of defense when we have these feelings. Only when we have practiced giving our problems over to God first to no avail should we go to the medical profession for help.

            This world is bound to give us anxiety and depression. Spend any time watching network or cable news, and you will become depressed and despairing about the state of the world. We are living in a world where good news in our media is very hard to come by. That is why the children of God should immerse themselves in the Bible. Particularly the gospels. They are not called good news for no reason. There, your soul will find rest and refreshment. Once we are accustomed to seeking inspiration from the scripture, the news media loses its stranglehold on our emotions.

            Jesus has told us that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. The world (not unlike the Pharisees of Jesus' day) likes to load us down with burdens that are hard, if not impossible, to carry. Peter tells us in this short verse that God is the answer to this unbearable burden the world would have us carry. Therefore, let us pray to the Lord, giving Him our care and burdens.

Prayer:

            Lord, we know in our minds that you want to bear our burdens, but we are too wrapped up in ourselves and independent to give them to you. Help our unbelief and our lack of trust. Be patient with us, and help us finally place all our cares on you, as the scripture says to do. Help us put down our anxieties, pick up our crosses, and follow you wherever you lead. Amen.

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