We can care for others because God first cared for us. No matter what we are facing, no matter how difficult or trying our circumstances, God is able to help us. We can cast our cares upon Him, knowing that His knowledge of our needs is so intimate that even the very hairs on our head are numbered. As you seek to show care to those around you through your service to them, know that God is there, caring for you.
What strikes me about this combination of Scriptures is that each of them points to a life lived in humility and obedience to the Lord:
1 Peter 5:6 says, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand" (the "therefore" points back to verse 5, which states, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble"); and verse 9 tells us to "resist [the devil]" and to be firm in our faith (our conviction of the truthfulness of God).
Psalm 8:4 shows humility in David's awe-filled question, "what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?" (verse 4).
Isaiah 40:31 tells us that we are to "wait for the Lord." The Hebrew word that's translated "wait" means "to bind together" as well as "to expect" and "to tarry." In other words, we are to be bound together with the Lord through His Spirit, to expect His righteousness, and to linger with Him.
Matthew 11:29 tells us that we are to take the yoke (in the Greek, the servitude and coupling) of Jesus and to learn from Him what it means to have a humble heart.
From each of these Scripture passages I take away the truth that, if we want to live in God's peace -- to fully experience His rest and strength -- we must walk humbly and in obedience. If we do not, we (not God) are putting up a wall that blocks the Lord's grace. Thankfully (so very, very thankfully!!) He is always there, waiting for us to repent of that sin and to take down the wall so that He can lavish us with His presence.
Abigail asked me to read the book of James to her tonight. The Lord always amazes me with His timing!
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up. -James 4:7-10
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” (Matthew 11:28-30, NASB)
Jesus is our Master, but His yoke is easy and His burden light because He loves us. Unlike most of those who would lord it over us with a heavy hand, who have no affection for us and care only that their desires are met, Jesus has already met the desires of our heart before He asks us to do even one thing in His name. We are called to serve Him and those around us in accordance with the love He has for us, out of gratitude for all He has done for us. Everyone serves someone or something, whether they are willing to admit it or not. But in Jesus you will find no better Master, no better person to serve, and no better way to serve those around you in love.
Each of the passages highlights how the mighty merciful God deals with weak, sin prone man.
1 Peter 5: God: Exalted in glory and dominion, yet a God of grace. Man: presently suffering and opposed by the adversary. He: has called us to eternal glory by Christ Jesus,
Psalm 8: God: The Lord revealed in nature, is exalted above the heavens. Man: puny, insignificant, even as weak as babes and weaning little ones. He: has used us as testimony against the rulers of darkness.
Isaiah 40: God: The everlasting God, the LORD, Creator of the ends of the earth. Man: at his strongest, as youths, will faint and be weary. He: Gives strength to those waiting upon Him – to fly like eagles, to run tirelessly, to walk steadily.
Matthew 11: God: the Powerful mighty One is yet gentle and lowly in heart. Man: We do labor and are heavy laden. He: Has invited us to take His easy yoke upon us and find rest.
"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?" (Psalm 8:3-4)
As our Creator, God need not care for us at all. We could mean nothing more to Him than a broken pot means to a potter. And yet He loves us, and because He loves us He cares for us. That means that He both cares about us and takes care of us. We can be thankful that God loves us that much, and that even though we often feel tiny and insignificant given the scope of creation, God cares.
"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 40:31)
There are many times when I feel overwhelmed by the world around me. My burdens seem so heavy, my cares so weighty, that I struggle to take another step. And yet the Lord promises us here that if we hope in Him, we will have the strength we need to persevere. And that perseverance will not be a struggle in which we plod along, inch by inch. We will soar like eagles. We will run and not grow faint. When we feel overwhelmed by care, when our anxieties threaten to overtake us, the Lord is there, ready to have our burdens cast upon Him that we may soar and run because our hope is in Him.
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:6) This seems almost too simple, doesn't it. I mean, doesn't the Lord know how hard it is to hold your head up in this world? Doesn't He care about all the troubles we face here, both as Christians and by virtue of the fact that we are human? Peter wrote these verses to a group of Christians who were beginning to experience heavy persecution for their faith. It would have been easy for them to assume that God didn't care about them; that He had turned His back on them in their hour of need. But Peter reminded them and us that God is there, and that He is able to help. All we need to do is ask, and He will carry our burdens for us. Have you asked God to do that for you today?
"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen." (1 Peter 5:8-11)
What would it look like if we learned to ask God for His help when we are anxious? This passage tells us we would be better equipped to resist when the devil tempts us. We would grow firm in our faith. We would be more aware of the problems of others. And we would be better able to handle our own problems because we are confident of the outcome. But first, we have to ask for help, casting our anxiety on God because He cares for us.
We can care for others because God first cared for us. No matter what we are facing, no matter how difficult or trying our circumstances, God is able to help us. We can cast our cares upon Him, knowing that His knowledge of our needs is so intimate that even the very hairs on our head are numbered. As you seek to show care to those around you through your service to them, know that God is there, caring for you.
ReplyDeleteWhat strikes me about this combination of Scriptures is that each of them points to a life lived in humility and obedience to the Lord:
ReplyDelete1 Peter 5:6 says, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand" (the "therefore" points back to verse 5, which states, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble"); and verse 9 tells us to "resist [the devil]" and to be firm in our faith (our conviction of the truthfulness of God).
Psalm 8:4 shows humility in David's awe-filled question, "what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?" (verse 4).
Isaiah 40:31 tells us that we are to "wait for the Lord." The Hebrew word that's translated "wait" means "to bind together" as well as "to expect" and "to tarry." In other words, we are to be bound together with the Lord through His Spirit, to expect His righteousness, and to linger with Him.
Matthew 11:29 tells us that we are to take the yoke (in the Greek, the servitude and coupling) of Jesus and to learn from Him what it means to have a humble heart.
From each of these Scripture passages I take away the truth that, if we want to live in God's peace -- to fully experience His rest and strength -- we must walk humbly and in obedience. If we do not, we (not God) are putting up a wall that blocks the Lord's grace. Thankfully (so very, very thankfully!!) He is always there, waiting for us to repent of that sin and to take down the wall so that He can lavish us with His presence.
Abigail asked me to read the book of James to her tonight. The Lord always amazes me with His timing!
ReplyDeleteSubmit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up. -James 4:7-10
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” (Matthew 11:28-30, NASB)
ReplyDeleteJesus is our Master, but His yoke is easy and His burden light because He loves us. Unlike most of those who would lord it over us with a heavy hand, who have no affection for us and care only that their desires are met, Jesus has already met the desires of our heart before He asks us to do even one thing in His name. We are called to serve Him and those around us in accordance with the love He has for us, out of gratitude for all He has done for us. Everyone serves someone or something, whether they are willing to admit it or not. But in Jesus you will find no better Master, no better person to serve, and no better way to serve those around you in love.
Each of the passages highlights how the mighty merciful God deals with weak, sin prone man.
ReplyDelete1 Peter 5: God: Exalted in glory and dominion, yet a God of grace.
Man: presently suffering and opposed by the adversary.
He: has called us to eternal glory by Christ Jesus,
Psalm 8: God: The Lord revealed in nature, is exalted above the heavens.
Man: puny, insignificant, even as weak as babes and weaning little ones.
He: has used us as testimony against the rulers of darkness.
Isaiah 40: God: The everlasting God, the LORD, Creator of the ends of the earth.
Man: at his strongest, as youths, will faint and be weary.
He: Gives strength to those waiting upon Him – to fly like eagles, to run tirelessly, to walk steadily.
Matthew 11: God: the Powerful mighty One is yet gentle and lowly in heart.
Man: We do labor and are heavy laden.
He: Has invited us to take His easy yoke upon us and find rest.
"When I consider your heavens,
ReplyDeletethe work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?" (Psalm 8:3-4)
As our Creator, God need not care for us at all. We could mean nothing more to Him than a broken pot means to a potter. And yet He loves us, and because He loves us He cares for us. That means that He both cares about us and takes care of us. We can be thankful that God loves us that much, and that even though we often feel tiny and insignificant given the scope of creation, God cares.
"But those who hope in the Lord
ReplyDeletewill renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 40:31)
There are many times when I feel overwhelmed by the world around me. My burdens seem so heavy, my cares so weighty, that I struggle to take another step. And yet the Lord promises us here that if we hope in Him, we will have the strength we need to persevere. And that perseverance will not be a struggle in which we plod along, inch by inch. We will soar like eagles. We will run and not grow faint. When we feel overwhelmed by care, when our anxieties threaten to overtake us, the Lord is there, ready to have our burdens cast upon Him that we may soar and run because our hope is in Him.
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:6) This seems almost too simple, doesn't it. I mean, doesn't the Lord know how hard it is to hold your head up in this world? Doesn't He care about all the troubles we face here, both as Christians and by virtue of the fact that we are human? Peter wrote these verses to a group of Christians who were beginning to experience heavy persecution for their faith. It would have been easy for them to assume that God didn't care about them; that He had turned His back on them in their hour of need. But Peter reminded them and us that God is there, and that He is able to help. All we need to do is ask, and He will carry our burdens for us. Have you asked God to do that for you today?
ReplyDelete"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen." (1 Peter 5:8-11)
ReplyDeleteWhat would it look like if we learned to ask God for His help when we are anxious? This passage tells us we would be better equipped to resist when the devil tempts us. We would grow firm in our faith. We would be more aware of the problems of others. And we would be better able to handle our own problems because we are confident of the outcome. But first, we have to ask for help, casting our anxiety on God because He cares for us.