March 20th - 1 Peter 5:7

1 Peter 5:7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Whether they are large or small, we all carry various cares and concerns. They may be focused on health issues for ourselves or those who are close to us. We may be concerned about the future, money or what is happening in the world today. It is impossible to avoid a whole range of concerns, so the question isn’t whether we’ve got any, but what we do with them. If we hug them to ourselves, the likelihood is that they will turn into anxiety and end up dominating our lives. Peter encourages us to take decisive action by handing our worries and cares to God. The crucial statement that Peter makes is that God cares for us, and that takes us to the heart of the gospel. God could have stayed at a distance. He didn’t have to enter into relationship with us, but he chose to do so. In the Old Testament we see his care for the people of Israel, even though they frequently rebelled against him. This is poignantly described in the prophecy of Hosea when God said: “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and I called my son out of Egypt. But the more I called to him the farther he moved from me…I myself taught Israel how to walk, leading him along by the hand. But he doesn’t know or even care that it was I who took care of him. I led Israel along with ropes of kindness and love” (Hosea 11:1-4). God’s passionate care for his people is the central theme of the whole Bible and in the New Testament it is most fully exhibited in Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross, which opened the door to a restored relationship with God. It’s a fact that God cares for us; our responsibility is to ensure that we keep passing our concerns on to the Lord, knowing that he will always be more than able to cope with them. Question In what way does this verse help you as you face the challenges of today? Prayer Loving Father, thank you that you care for me completely and that I never have any need to be anxious. Amen