DAILY ENCOUNTER

CASTING YOUR CARES ON HIM 

"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." 1 Peter 5:7

Glory to God! Casting all our cares upon Jesus comes with a beautiful reason, and it is because He cares. To cast means to throw something from yourself onto another person. It is not to place it gently and then pick it up again. It is to cast it unto and forget it there. Many of us say we have given our worries to God, but we are still carrying them around, rehearsing them in our minds, and discussing them at night. That is not casting; that is holding. Apostle Peter, who wrote these words, knew what he was saying. He had once been so afraid that he denied the Lord three times. He had carried the burden of failure and the weight of guilt, and he had experienced the Lord's restoration. Peter was not writing theory; he had learned that the Lord's love is bigger than our worries. The word 'care' here refers to anxiety, the kind of worry that pulls your mind in different directions and steals your peace. Anxiety does not change tomorrow; it only robs today of its peace. You cannot solve tomorrow's problems with today's worry, but you can hand them over to the One who already holds tomorrow.

Look at the night before Peter was to be brought out for trial by King Herod. James had already been killed with the sword, and Peter was in prison, bound with two chains between two soldiers, with guards at the door. Every reason to be anxious! Yet the Bible says Peter was sleeping. The church was praying earnestly, and Peter was asleep. He was so at peace that the angel had to strike him on the side to wake him. How could a man sleep in such a situation? He had cast his care upon the One who cares for him. He understood that the same God who delivered him before would take care of him again. Our scripture says, 'for he careth for you.' This tells us that God is not busy or distant; He is a Father who is personally concerned about us. He cares about our health, our families, our business, our future, and even the small things that look insignificant. Nothing that concerns us is too small for Him, and nothing is too big for Him either. Some of us pray only about big problems, but the Bible says 'all' your care, so the big ones and the small ones go on the same altar. So, what are you carrying that you were not meant to carry? Name it before the Lord, and let it go. Cast it again tomorrow if you have to; every time the worry returns, cast it afresh. Be at peace, sleep well, because He who watches over you neither slumbers nor sleeps. Hallelujah!!!

FURTHER STUDY

Acts 12:1-7; Psalm 55:22; Philippians 4:6-7 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. What worry am I still carrying that I have said I gave to God but have not truly released?
2. Do I truly believe that God personally cares about the details of my life, and how does that show in my peace?

PRAYERS

Father, thank You for Your word. I cast all my cares upon You, because You care for me. Give me Your peace in place of every anxiety in Jesus's name. Amen.