Hymns 684

Scripture Reading:

1 Pet. 5:7   Casting all your anxiety on Him because it matters to Him concerning you.

LEARNING TO THROW THE BURDEN OF OUR ANXIETY UPON GOD

In [1 Peter chapter 5,] verse 7 Peter goes on to say, “Casting all your anxiety on Him, because it matters to Him concerning you.” The word casting here means throwing upon, that is, committing to, giving up to. The verb denotes a once-for-all act. The words “all your anxiety” indicate that the whole lot of our anxiety throughout our entire life, our whole life with all its anxiety, should be cast on the Lord. We need to learn how to throw the burden of our anxiety upon God. It may now be on our own shoulder, but we should cast it from our shoulder to God.

Although the verb “casting” indicates a once-for-all act, because we are weak, we may need to cast our anxieties upon God again and again. Sometimes we cast our anxieties upon Him only to secretly take them back a while later. This has been my experience. I may cast my anxiety upon the Lord. But a few days later I may realize that I have taken this anxiety back upon myself, and therefore I need to pray, “O Lord, forgive me for taking this anxiety back from You. Once again, I would cast my anxieties upon You.”

ANXIETY BEING LIKE AN AIRPLANE CIRCLING AN AIRPORT
TO WAIT FOR THE TIME TO LAND

The Greek word for “anxiety” also means worry or care. In persecution, the believers’ sufferings cause worry and anxiety to them. They need not only to be humbled, to be brought low from their pride, their haughtiness, but also to throw their life with its care upon God; for He is not only mighty and just, but also loving and faithful concerning them.

We may use the landing of airplanes at a busy airport as an illustration of the coming of anxiety upon us. If you watch the airplanes making their approach to land, you will see that they usually come in one after another. But sometimes they come in pairs or even in a parade. Anxiety may circle around us like an airplane circling an airport, waiting for the time to land.

Those who are involved with people will usually have more anxiety than those who live alone. For example, an unmarried brother will probably have much less anxiety than a married brother with several children. The married brother’s concern for his wife and children causes him to become anxious. First his wife becomes a source of anxiety. Then as each child is born, he has another reason to be anxious. The causes of anxiety may increase as the children grow up, get married, and have children of their own, for then the grandchildren become a source of anxiety.

From experience I can testify that the more things I have, the more anxiety I have, the more the “airplanes” of anxiety circle above my head.

GOD HAVING A LOVING CONCERN FOR THE BELIEVERS,
ESPECIALLY THE PERSECUTED ONES

We all must learn to cast all our anxiety upon the Lord. If we do not cast our anxiety upon Him, we shall not have peace. Perhaps little children under the age of four do not have any anxiety. But the older we are, the more anxiety we have, because more airplanes of anxiety are waiting to land at our “airport.” What, then, shall we do? Although it is not easy, we need to cast our anxiety upon the Lord. If we find that we take back the very anxiety we have given the Lord, we need to cast it upon Him again.

The reason we may cast all our anxiety on the Lord is that “it matters to Him” concerning us. The words “it matters to Him concerning you” may also be rendered, “He cares for you.” The disciplining and judging God has a loving concern for the believers, especially the persecuted ones. He cares for them faithfully. They can cast their care upon Him, especially in their persecution. (Life-study of 1 Peter, pp. 301-303)

Further Reading: Life-study of 1 Peter, msg. 33; CWWN, vol. 18, “In Nothing Be Anxious”