Casting Off!

1 Peter 5:7 ~ “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

 

As we mature, we will find that peace and the wellness of our souls, like never before, is what we are after. We will find in that spiritual and physical maturity there are some things that will need to be re-examined and some things that may even need to be re-arranged.

A few devotionals past I shared about allowing God to rearrange the furniture in our hearts. For some of us, not all, we have grown accustomed to the same setup, grew comfortable with the same view. Yet, just like having carpet on a floor, when furniture is placed there for too long, what’s created are pressure points, and when you finally decide to move the furniture, most assuredly the indentations will be exposed.

So it is with a wounded heart, past trauma, or unresolved sin; when not given to the

Lord, though we run the race by faith, we run with indentations, and not whole.

As I worshipped today, I caught something in spirit that set my heart to press in even more with the Lord. I realized that He is the author and finisher of my faith, and He is also God who provides the seed and the offering. God is a God that encourages us that He knows that we carry some weight. He knows that this weight, when carried silently leads us to either ask for help or run deeper and further away from him into the arms of sin. The Lord knows where we have lived, where we grew up, who helped mold and shape us. He knows what they did, and what we didn’t do. He knows where we fell, where we were able to extend a hand for help but then retracted. He knows the secret places of our hearts that no one knows, and even if we let them try, they can’t touch. He knows what hurts, and what is callous, hard, and unresponsive.

 

Yet, the question is, do we?

 

We are so good at throwing things around, words, facial expressions, some of us hands (work that out!) At times if not careful some of us may be walking around with a stench from our hearts, waiting to throw some poop at someone from our past, yet, do you know God makes room for us to throw some stuff “off!”

 

Yep, even that poop in your heart, sitting on your mind, or maybe in your pocket.

 

The word “cast” in Hebrew (epirrhiptō), means to literally, “throw off or throw upon.” The Word of God encourages us that we can “cast” our cares upon Him. There is so much we carry, brothers and sisters, and the Lord says, look here; “let me carry that for you.”

Will you cast off today in prayer, will you cast off today in His presence, and not cast it off to our sinful nature to make more of a mess that only leads us to pick up another burden to carry.

 

Today I pray that these two passages will help us grow into the extraordinary undeniable saving grace and love that is given when we confess Christ. I pray that we are reminded that only Jesus our Savior can provide peace that surpasses our understanding. (Philippians 4:7).  Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (1 Peter 5:7; Matthew 11:28-30).

I pray that we will know that maturity isn’t only met with aging, the graying out of our hair or the wrinkling of our skin. No, maturity is found when we have the knowledge and the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10), maturity is when we are able to discipline all disobedience when our obedience has been fulfilled (2 Corinthians 10:3-6). It is when we can open freely our hearts and surrender what we have hidden unto the Lord. (Hebrews 4:13).

 

Until Next Time Beloved, Read the Word to Be Encouraged in The Lord!