“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”- { 1Peter 5:6-7}
Anxiety, comes from two Greek words, “to divide… the mind.”Anxities in the heart causes depression-{Prov 12:25}. Anxities divide our minds from devotion to Loving God with all of our mind. Anxities come to our mind, how can we deal with them God’s way? Peter shows us four elements involved…
1. – HUMBLE YOURSELVES. – It is a Command. A Verb, keep on practicing this. Take your rightful place, prostrate in your heart before God. You are not His co-equal. Submit yourself to Him. Know your place. Know who He is. In our rightful mind we realize He is God we are not, and in submitting to Him is an act of love, worship, submission, and is a place of blessing. God opposes the proud and gives grace to the … Humble.
2. – UNDER THE MIGHTY HAND OF GOD.-V6. This was symbolic of the POWER of God in the Old Testament. Creative Power, Delivering Power, Protective Power, Correcting Power. The Creative Power of God, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…” The Delivering Power of God; He delivered the Israelite’s from Pharaoh through the Red Sea and with the water stood up on each side they walked across on dry land, multitudes of various ages and all were safe and secure and then as thy looked back, the army of their enemies were swallowed up and drowned as the water engulfed them. Sustaining Power; All things are upheld, sustained by Him by the Word of His Power. Power belongs to the LORD. And so the command, Humble yourselves, submit yourselves- not to some tyrant but God- the ALL Powerful One, who Cares for you. Deliverance is in a Person and He instructs us of His way of deliverance, it involves immediate unquestioning, obedient faith- in the ALL POWERFUL ONE! “Ah Sovereign LORD, You have made the Heavens and earth, by Your great power and outstretched Hand, nothing is too difficult for you.” {Jer 32:17}.
Thinking right about Him is the entrance into Trusting Him!
3. – CASTING – v7. Casting all your anxieties Upon Him-The word “casting” originally meant to “fling something away.” It was used of a blanket being thrown unto a donkey, as when Jesus was entering Jerusalem. Anxiety the word means “divide the mind,” recognize the thought- Philippians 4:8 says how we are to train our mind to think-“whatever is TRUE… whatever is Lovely… whatever is PRAISEWORTHY… IF anything PURE… Excellent… THINK on these things.” Anxiety does not pass the test.It’s not true about God, His character, His promises. It is not true about who you are now, “IN CHRIST.” Anxieties Lie- that you are its slave and must yield and submit to it. Jesus came to save His people from their sins and anxiety is a sin issue. When we choose to submit to it and fail to fling it off as you would something disgusting, harmful and dangerous to the honor of God and that which would seek to infiltrate your thinking and divert you from His revealed will, It is destructive. Instead choose to Love Him with your thinking and seeking His Kingdom…
4. – HE CARES FOR YOU – v7. Outside of God Himself, YOU ARE HIS Most Treasured. He did not send His Son to redeem the fallen angels. He died but for sinners. For YOU. TO RESCUE YOU from the penalty of sin, pardon and adopt you as His own Child. HE CARES ABOUT YOU and HE CARES about the things that concern you. Jesus is our Great High Priest who Empathizes, feels the very feelings you feel in your weakness and temptations and He is MIGHTY TO save. And we can come confidently to His Throne of Grace to receive mercy, grace to help in our time of need. You have access to God, to help you! HE CARES FOR YOU.
God’s Means for you by faith how to handle anxieties, His way! Memorize the verse, meditate, PRACTICE. Praise God for His Provision, you know how to handle anxiety His way, and not be a slave to anxiety!
What are the Four Elements to Handling Anxiety God’s Way?
Pray for Opportunities to share with Someone, “How To Cast Your Anxieties upon The Lord.”