Eastertide
May 22, 2020
Scripture Reading:
1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Discipline yourselves; keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. –1 Peter 5:6-11
Cast all your anxiety on [God], because [God] cares for you.
In the Jewish tradition, the prayer that follows, called the Shema, is one of God’s most significant admonishments.
Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. . . Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. –Deuteronomy 6:4-5, 8
The book of first Peter is telling us to do essentially the same thing. God loves us, God wants the best for us, we have no better Advocate than God in all of God’s manifestations. It seems adversity brings out the best in us and perhaps the worst in some instances. It requires us to call forth from God strengthening of the fruit of the spirits as we must deal lovingly and patiently with each other and all of God’s children throughout the world. We cannot see clearly to do that if we are caught I the throws of anxiety. Yes, I know how hard it is to shake. I think that is why our scripture used a very meaningful word “cast” to describe the action we must take to rid ourselves of overwhelming anxiety. Sometimes it helps to list all our anxieties, review them, and then tear them into tiny pieces and cast them in the trash. If and when they start sneaking back into your mind, do it again each time seeking God’s mercy and love as he guides us to God’s green pastures of peace.
Prayer: Lord, free us from anxiety that cripples us from dealing with our challenges today and every day. Amen.
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.