Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you. (1 Peter 5:7)

Life is precious and we spend a good amount of thought of how to care for it. Each day is filled with mindful thoughts of health, wellness, success, pleasure, ambition, and the list continue to grow with each day’s new experiences. Thoughts of the new day experiences can be exciting with anticipation or overwhelming with concern. As you may have discovered, becoming a Christian does not make your problems go away. Our scripture passage today instructs us to live out the day “casting all your cares upon Him.” The idea of “casting” has in it that of a fisherman who cast his net upon the water. The net is cast out with expectation of gaining a return to satisfy a need. Peter learned from his experiences to trust in the Lord for all he needed. On multiple occasions, Peter cast his net upon the water as Christ had instructed and saw Christ provide more and beyond what he could think or image. He had walked with Christ and saw His divine power through the miracles. He beheld the risen Christ and experienced the love that Jesus had those who followed Him. Peter not only knew he could cast his nets upon the water, but he could launch himself without any concern upon the water and Christ would care for him (Mt 14:28-29). It is with great confidence Peter encourages the young believers to trust in Christ. Though this instruction is simple, it is oftentimes difficult to put into practice. Casting our cares is a choice. It means consciously handing over concerns and troubles to Christ and allowing Him to carry the weight of our problems. There is no distinction. He wants them all. The little ones and the big ones “for He careth for you.” You have an Advocate with the Father for whom you may carry every concern. My friend, our Lord cares more for you than you could ever image. He has plans for you, to prosper you, that are greater than all your expectations. Begin this day free of all your weight and burdens by “casting all your cares upon Him.” Father, thank You for Your care, compassion and love through Your Son, Jesus. I know You care for me. Help me to trust You more as You stand ready to carry my cares. In the blessed Name of Jesus. Amen.

Therefore I say unto you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not the life more than food, and the body than clothing? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? (Matt 6:25, 27)

Our lives are filled with decisions. Everyday we must decide on things that range along a pendulum of things. Things that at one moment may have little impact, yet things on the other hand are matters that may have lasting impact. Decisions are part of life and concern for our involvement in them is legitimate. While concern is a clear-headed response to a present need, worry is not. Our scripture passage today reminds us not to worry over the things that you have common need for. Four times in His discourse on Mt 6:25-34, Jesus declares “do not worry.” God knows your needs, so “do not worry.” Worry is concern on steroids. Worry is an attacking agent that disturbs, distorts, confuses, and creates emotional unrest. Worry is a weapon of the enemy to immobilize the child of God from their “walk by faith” (2 Cor 5:7) and from knowing the pleasure of God’s peace, rest, and joy. Worry distracts our focus toward the results we desire rather than looking to receive what God has prepared. At the core of all worry is fear. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear” (1 John 4:18). The weapon against worry is knowing God’s love. Worry is inconsistent faith because we focus on the lesser rather than the Greater. When we allow our focus to be on ourselves, it is in those moments that we miss out on God’s love and care for us. God is the Creator of all things, yet by faith, do we believe He is the Sustainer for all things. God cares for the lesser things like the birds of the air and the flowers in the field, how much more will He care for you? “Are you not of more value than they?” God cares for all His creation. By trusting in His care, we come to know the depth of His love and look to receive from Him in the daily decisions we make. My friend, God loves you and has prepare in this day to care for your every need according to His riches in glory. Father, thank You for Your tremendous love, care, and provisions for our every need. Thank You that our greatest need in life is provided through faith in Your Son, Jesus. In the blessed Name of Jesus. Amen.

Blessings are upon the head of the just…the memory of the just is blessed. (Prov 10:6-7)

I pray you had great worship on this past Lord’s Day in your local church! It was great to celebrate the achievement and success with our graduates this week. Their future success is yet to be determined in how well they will use their achievement to bless others or use it for personal gain. Our scripture passage today declares to us that “blessings are upon the head of the Just.” Blessings are bestowed upon the righteous like a crown. The blessing of a crown is in the weight it carries. It is a weight of responsibility that carries with it “the capacity to experience, enjoy and extend the goodness of God in your life” (Kingdom Man, p.105). The blessings of the child of God are eternal and are received in obedience to the word of God. The joy of God’s blessing in one’s life is experienced when His blessings are extended and share with others, so that they may know the goodness of God and His love for them. Blessings are not about one’s personal gain, but for God’s glory. As we grow to know God’s goodness in our life, the more meaningful and marvelous He becomes, and we share His goodness with others.  God’s goodness may be shared through words of encouragement, a visit with someone who is alone or withdrawn, selfless time devoted to the interest of another, or giving to a need. How we receive God’s blessings and the manner for which they are extended to others determines success in life. Success in life is not in the number of blessings gained, but in the blessings given to others for the glory of God. My friend, how will you be remembered? By what is gained or by how well you gave? “The memory of the just is blessed.” God wants to bless you that you may share in His blessing to others. Father, thank You for all your many blessings. They are more than can ever be contained. Lead us to place where Your blessing is most needed and open our eyes and our heart to bless according to Your goodness. In the blessed Name of Jesus. Amen.