“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God”
“Be anxious for nothing”
First Peter 5:7 is a parallel verse to Philippians 4:6:
“Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
The word “care” is the same as our word “anxious.” We are to cast our anxiety upon the Lord. Unload it all.
The keyword in 1 Peter 5:7 is the word “for.” “For” means because. The reason we can cast is that we know God cares about us. Casting in itself does not relieve worry. The reason we cast is the point of the verse. Knowledge of God’s care allows us to cast.
“Cast your burden on the LORD,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” (Ps 55:22)
The psalmist saw that there are things too great for us to carry. David referred to those things as “burdens.” He never denied that trouble would come. He only asserted what to do when trouble comes. The child of God is to transfer that burden upon the Lord.
“Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity
Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.” (Ps. 37:1-5)
Committing one’s way to the Lord is the same as “casting.” The word “commit” means to roll off. Let your burdens roll onto the Lord. This is the picture of a man carrying a great load. It is too heavy for him. He needs to let it roll off him onto the Lord. Faith believes God capable of bearing what we cannot. He will if we give Him the opportunity.
Principle:
We dispel anxiety by giving our apprehensions to the Lord.
Application:
If we know that God cares for us, we can give our worries to Him. Have you cast your anxieties on the Lord and then take them back? The reason we do this is that we believe that the act of casting is the important point of 1 Peter 5:7. However, the crucial point of the verse is our confidence in God’s care for us. If we have confidence in that, we will truly cast our anxieties upon him.
