Today's Reading:O.T. - Job 15 - 17
N.T. - 1 Peter 5
Focus Verses: 1 Peter 5:5b-7
5bAll of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." 6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Insight:
Seeing God for who he is and seeing ourselves for who we are requires humility. God opposes the proud because pride makes it impossible to recognize truth. The person who acknowledges weakness and the need for God's grace will not be disappointed. God gives grace to the humble. Peter encourages us to place faith in God's might and care. The word translated "to cast" could also be translated "to saddle" or "to burden." Instead of carrying our stress and worries by ourselves in our own strength, Peter tells us to saddle/burden God with our anxieties. If we believe God truly cares for us, we should let him carry our burdens, believing that he will sustain us and lift us up.
Response and Action:
I must humble myself and recognize my need for God's grace. I must remember that God cares for me and is ready to help me. What am I stressed out about and what are the burdens I'm carrying today? Relationships, responsibilities, fears, failures, hopes, conflicts, problems, needs -- whatever the anxiety, I will humbly look to God for the guidance and strength and peace I need. I will trust God to help me and to lift me.
O God, I will rejoice in you. You are the God of my salvation; you are my strength. You make my feet stable and you help me walk in difficult places. Give me your peace, O God -- the peace that the world cannot give. Still and quiet my soul; let your peace guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Thank you for your grace and care. Teach me to lean on you and trust you. Help me to acknowledge you in all my ways. Make my paths straight and level. Amen.
Proverbs: 16:17
"The highway of the upright avoids evil; he who guards his way guards his life."
Resources:
Living Peacefully in a Stressful World: A Stategy for Replacing Stress With Peace
by Ronald Hutchcraft and Ray C. Stedman
