I hope you got a chance to join us online yesterday for Part 3 of our series Fear Not. Yesterday’s message “Care Casting” was about how to unburden your heart. As you feel fear welling up inside of you, you need to cast it away! There may be building tension in many of your homes right now. Many are working from home while trying to home school their children, while others have become unemployed seemingly overnight. My HOPE is that, rather than giving into stress, you cast your cares on Him (1 Peter 5:7).
While it’s easy to say you should cast your cares on Him, do you find it difficult to do? You might even find it next to impossible to do. The Old Testament prophet Isaiah said, “…put the Lord in remembrance [of His promises], keep not silence” (Isaiah 62:6, AMPC). God told Isaiah, “Put Me in remembrance; Let us contend together…” (Isaiah 43:26, NKJV). God wants you to hold fast to His promises. What’s one of the best ways to do this? Populate each of your prayers with “You said…” “You said You would walk me through the waters” or “You said you would never leave me” (see Hebrews 13:5). Find a promise that fits your problem, and build your prayer around it. These prayers of faith touch the heart of God, activate prayers in heaven, and set miracles into motion. Your answer may not come overnight, but it will come.
How do you really leave your concerns with God? The first way you do this is by being grateful. Does this surprise you? Max Lucado says, “The widest river in the world is not the Mississippi, Amazon, or Nile. The widest river on earth is a body of water called If Only.” Maybe you’ve had thoughts such as: “If only I were thinner, I’d have the good life” or “If only I were richer, I’d have the good life.” You may be thinking, “If only I could…leave home, move home, get married, or get divorced.”
The if only list can become endless. Don’t stand on its shore! If you’re in a hurry to cross the river and worried that you never will, you might work long hours, borrow more money, take on new projects, and pile on more responsibilities. This will bring, stress, debt, short nights, long days, etc. I want you to understand that the good life begins, not when your circumstances change, but when your attitude toward them does. When you’re grateful, it helps you be more empathetic and forgiving. You’ll also demonstrate less envy, materialism, and self-centeredness. Do you want to improve self-esteem, enhance your relationships, improve your quality of sleep, and have longevity? Focus on gratitude, cast your cares on Him, and hold fast to His promises.