Devotional: January - February, 2009

Get Ready to Throw

For some people, not a day passes that they aren’t worried about something.  In fact, it becomes a lifestyle, even a comfort zone.  Many don’t seem to know what to do if they are not in a state of anxiety constantly.  Some put on a good front, but are consumed inwardly with concern, nervousness and fear.  Well, God showed me something amazing on this subject while reading 2 very familiar verses last week.  There’s no gentle way to break it to you so I’m going to get straight to the point.

Worry is a form of pride.  

1 Peter 5:6 states: “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:”  But it doesn’t stop there.  Notice there is a colon, not a period.  So verse 7 continues the thought: “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”  I learned those verses separately, but they actually go together.  In this way, they are even more powerful.  

Think about it.  We are faced with a situation that is beyond our control and yet we still can’t turn it over to a sovereign God who can see the outcome before it ever takes place!  Someone offends us and instead of putting it in the hands of God, we have to hold onto it, “punish” the offender, and build walls around our heart so we won’t get hurt again.  In our prideful selves, we want to hold on dearly to our problems and offences and fix them in our human, flawed way.  And don’t think you can get away with pride.  If you back up to verse five of this same chapter, you will see that God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.  That is very serious!

Verse 7 states that we need to cast our care upon Him.  The word “cast” in this text means “to throw upon”.  That’s pretty emphatic!  It’s an action word.  In my mind, I see a baseball game and the pitcher getting ready to throw a 90 MPH fast ball.  Picture yourself as the pitcher, the ball as your “care” and the catcher as God “who cares for you”.  We are to consciously recognize anything that is causing us anxiety, humbly come to God realizing we can do nothing without him, and throw all our care upon Him.  In trade, He gives us peace, sustains* us, and lifts us up in His time (see Phil. 4:6&7; Ps. 55:22; I Peter 5:7 for study references). 

It’s the biggest game of the year.  The Catcher has called for the pitch.  He’s the mastermind behind the strategy of the pitcher’s game.  The pitcher is you.  It’s scary to let go of the ball.  What if the pitch doesn’t go like you had planned?  But the Catcher has confidence that you can do it.  You can’t win the game if you don’t pitch the ball and you’ll never know the outcome until you try.  So take a deep breath, assume your stance and with all the enthusiasm you can muster, throw that care right down the middle.  I guarantee that’s a pitch the Catcher won’t miss!

*Sustain means to keep in, maintain, feed, guide, nourish, provide for.