Happy Monday,
Whether you’ve stopped by because of the carnival or because you joined me on Andrea Ingram on WordNet Talk radio in North Carolina at 1:00-2:00pm this afternoon, welcome!!
Nothing makes us want to live safe in God’s love and protection than when we are plagued by fear and anxiety. The million dollar question is..
How do we get to a safe place in God where we run free and leave our anxious cares with Him? We follow the advice of Peter in I Peter 5:7. He knew we would be concerned about the necessities of life. Even the most mature Christians today are apt to labor under the burden of anxious and excessive care such as personal concerns, family woes, cares for the present, cares for the future, cares for themselves, for others, and for the church. Peter saw this anxious care as a heavy burden and he gave us some wise counsel for dealing with it. Peter’s advice is to cast all our cares upon God. We are to throw the cares that distract us, wound our bodies and souls, and lay heavy on our hearts, upon the wise and gracious providence of God. You can do that because “he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) Isn’t that amazing? You and I don’t have to carry the burden of our worries. God is willing to release us from our cares, and take our concerns upon Himself.
Let me be honest. It’s easy to cast my cares upon God. The hard part is not taking them back. When it appears to me that God is not paying attention to my needs, worry returns and I feel the need to do something about it.
For example… after I lost my husband, I suffered with colon attacks. It was how my body dealt with the stress. (If this is ‘TMI—too much information’ for you, skip to the next paragraph) I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced a colon attack or have known someone who has, but they are agonizing. If you don’t know any better, and I didn’t, you’d think you were dying with colon cancer. The excruciating cramping in your stomach last for hours until it gives way to—well, let’s just say more unbearable pain in the bathroom until sweet relief is achieved. Even though it’s a painful experience, the worst part is not knowing where you’ll be when the next attack occurs.
I assumed by casting my situation on God and asking him to carry the burden meant that my stomach troubles would go away. The burden of not going to counseling once a week and not having that extra bill to pay was expected when I gave it over to God. But none of that ceased. I kept having colon attacks which meant I still needed counseling for my grief. And while I hoped that the counselor would at least ease my debt, instead, she went up on her prices. What was the point of giving my burden to God in the first place if he wasn’t going to make it all go away? I wondered.
The point is this. When you and I cast our cares on God we are acknowledging and recognizing that it’s His responsibility to care for us—not ours. At first the weight is lifted until God doesn’t respond to our need like we think He should. Then, we are quick to retrieve the burden. We forget that God is painting on a large canvas. He sees the big picture. We only see what’s happening to us at the moment. God may allow events to come into our lives—good things and bad things; things that make sense and things that don’t. Every one of these incidents serves as part of his plan for our lives. What you and I may think is harmful and destructive God is using for our good—to bring us to completion in godly conduct and character. He will allow nothing to happen to us that isn’t first filtered through his screen of protection. In other words, what won’t destroy us God uses to better us. Ultimate harm would be if God left us in the state we are in.
You and I have this promise in hard times. “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” ( 2 Corinthians 4: 8,9, NIV).
God will not let our hardships destroy us. Though they may be tragic in and of themselves, He will use them for our good. You and I cast our worries on God because it’s His responsibility to give us what we need. As we trust him with the bigger picture of our lives, the weight is lifted and peace washes over our anxieties. (Excerpt taken from my book, An Untroubled Heart)
One of my favorite books to read that helps me stay in God’s love is “His Princess…Love Letter From Your King” by Sheri Rose Shepherd. Today, I’m giving away a copy!! To enter to win, leave your name and email address in the commit section. Good-luck!
Michele says
hillme71 AT gmail DOT com
Thanks
Staci says
s_channel@sbcglobal.net
Thanks for sharing this story. I think we so easily do this without realizing the impact it has on our situation. God is almighty and powerful – what better place for our concerns and worries to be placed!!!!!!! I pray I will cast my concerns on God and leave them there for him to handle – completely!!!! My I not try to take them back and handle them with my power, but keep them with God and his almight power!!!!
mrsc says
How often I do just as you said-cast my concerns to God and then take them right back! Thanks for your post today-I needed it!
rdcaudill@yahoo.com
Donna says
thanks for the devotional
mimi.donna29@gmail.com
Linda says
baker.linda54@gmail.com
Thank you for the reminder that our Lord and Savior uses the hardest of times for our good, even when we can't see the big picture.
Sara says
It was so good to reread this excerpt from your book this morning. Its a truth I need to be reminded of again and again as it is a continual fight to leave my burdens with God and not reclaim them. Just what I needed this Monday morning!
sara.granberry@gmail.com
Tina says
Thank you, Micca, for today's blog – your book is on my "Books to Read" list and I look forward to reading it soon.
Tina
tmatas@tampabay.rr.com
R says
always good to read your posts.
harrinr@vmcmail.com
Linda says
lmm28twin@yahoo.com
I needed this message today. Thank You!
God Bless,
Linda
Colleen says
It is easy to cast our cares on Him, yet you're right that we start to take back parts of it to dwell on and then let it eat away at us until know we must cast it away again! Years ago I, too, developed IBS symptoms from internalizing problems, especially from what I perceived to be the beginning of the end of my marriage. We're still married and still working on it! Thankfully, I am mostly healed from this malady, though occasionally stress will do that to me still. The quote from 2 Corinthians is excellent! It is exactly where I am in my life. I pray that God is helping me grow through all of these trials to become the woman He wants me to be. I would love to read the book. Thanks!
Lynn Cowell says
Micca,
You talked about "taking it back". I made a similiar comparison on my blog today. How a child asks to be held, but often as soon as they get up in our arms, they want back down!
Lord, help us to stay up in your arms!!!
LaTrice says
Thanks for sharing with us.
wgrhm@yahoo.com
Stephanie says
I can so relate to your post. I was just talking to my Mom about the very idea that God is in control and directs out paths and walks with us through the difficulties that we face so that He might be glorified. So good to see other women striving to follow His teachings even in the most painful of circumstances. Thank you so much for sharing your insight and being so transparent.
Stephanie
sypace@yahoo.com
Monique says
Thank you for your posting today. It was definitely what my troubled heart needed.
moekneekey@hotmail.com
justscrapbooking says
Tammy Froelich
justscrapbooking@att.net
I loved hearing you speak almost a year ago in Brown County, Indiana and I am really loving your book.
Cynthia says
I'd love to win this book…I need to hear this right now.
ml4estsmommy says
Struggling with anxiety and fear right now- your post was a great encouragement.
ml4estsmom@yahoo.com
Laine says
lek21@aol.com
New to your site and I love reading your posts. Thank you…this is exactly what I needed to hear today! God is so faithful! We just need to remember to trust him and not let fear and worry find their way back into our lives once we have given something over to Him.
Kari says
rkdecker@venturecomm.net
Michelle says
I have your book on my wish list and I think this would be a critical time in my life right now where your story could make a difference in my life as I am sure it has in many others.
Michelle
rfams4him@verizon.net
Sharon Abbott Cowan says
Thanks I needed that message today.
Judy says
Fear of not doing God's will. I want to be obedient to his will in my life. I want to be the light he would have me to be in a dark world.
ritan says
Count me in for the give away
Thank you, Rita
Mary says
When I have things that I need to "talk it out before deciding what to do" I go to God. Where I have to be careful is to give God the time to answer or as you say leave it with Him, and wait for His answer. I know that He knows my heart better than I do and He knows exactly what's around each corner. I just want to leave it all there with Him.
modupe says
New to your site. I am encouraged. In the past few days, i have been pondering on how to attain such level of faith whereby there would be no torment of fear, worry, doubt and anxiety.
I am determined to load myself with the word and believe God
Fakunlem@hotmail.com
Thanks.
Cindy says
Thank you for sharing your heart and life. What you shared today was exactly what I needed. I have struggled with fear and worry this year like never before. 1 Peter 5:7 has literally sustained me when at times it felt like my heart would explode with anxiety. I can testify that God takes the hard things of this life and turns them into good for His glory.