Casting and Resting in Christ

Stress is an odd enemy. My head says that I trust God and that all will be well, but my body is not listening. We go to the hospital and see our granddaughter in casts and bandages, and despite her good humor, and my faith in God as I watch Him bless her with an amazing attitude, my body protests as if the world is falling apart.

I did a search on AI and found that this is common. Even though the mind is relaxed, it takes the body time to catch up. This search gave these solutions: Drink plenty of water throughout the day to help prevent muscle spasms and inflammation. Be mindful of my posture when sitting, standing, and even sleeping to reduce strain on my muscles. Do some gentle exercise and stretching. Eat well and make sure I get enough calcium and vitamin D. And finally, incorporate stress-management techniques into my daily routine. 

Here is where biblical truths come in. These verses come to mind:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6–7)
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18)

In the NT church, Christians were scattered and suffered. Their worries targeted their faith and most certainly their bodies felt the tensions. Casting all care on the Lord was not about pretending life was fine, but to trust that Christ’s care is deeper than fears and stresses. 

Just before Peter calls me to cast my cares on Jesus, he says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you.” (1 Peter 5:6) Monday during Bible study I stressed that I cannot obey God apart from the Holy Spirit. Being helpless is the key to obedience because helplessness means I must depend on the Lord and not on any DIY method. This is the only way I can do it. Otherwise, I will try in my own strength.

One writer says, “Faith casts its cares because it has surrendered its self-reliance. Pride clings to control; faith releases it into the hands that were pierced for us. The gospel alone makes such surrender possible, because in the cross we see that God’s mighty hand is not against us but for us. The One who bore our sins also bears our sorrows.”

While the solutions AI gave are not a magical cure for stress management (AI does not know Jesus), the principle is there. Trusting God does not take away the stress of life or make me not care and become passive. His care is there and when I trust Him, my mind is given joy and eventually that proper time for exaltation comes, usually quicker than expected. 

Monday, I handled stress with truth. Tuesday, my body suffered incredible pain. I gave it all to Jesus, accepting it as His will. Wednesday the pain was gone. This is a spiritual war about being obedient to ‘love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ (Mark 12:30), a battle that totally mystifies my doctor.

PRAY: So as I cast my stresses and the struggles of our granddaughter on You, the enemy wants me to worry and be anxious. Yet You are having Your way in her life — and I must not let concerns for her control my faith in You. I cannot base my confidence on nonchalance or what I hope will happen, but on Your grace, trusting that Your will is the important thing. Also, it helps to know that bodily reactions to stress and not the indicator of Your love and mercy. You will do what You will do, regardless of my aches or lack of aches. I will drink enough water and eat right and so on, but I will also pray without ceasing, casting my cares on You with thanksgiving, and experience whatever You send, trusting You to have Your way in her life, and in mine. You care and have all the strength I need. That is enough to give me rest. 

 

Whatever it takes…

 
Realizing that God is totally sovereign and that everything that happens to me is part of His plan for my life makes possible the reason and ability to give thanks in all things. That is, even the most disagreeable event of life is a bearer of blessing. If I look beyond the pain and discomfort, God is apt to reveal to me the good He has in mind in allowing it.

Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast. By your appointment they stand this day, for all things are your servants. (Psalm 119:90–91)

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18)

I’ve wondered about the will of God when I see so much evil in the world, and even more, when I see my own sinfulness. Yet I’ve missed many messages from Him because they were wrapped in ugly packages or delivered by unkind people. Most of the opposite idea involves teaching about God's goodness and that He desires my comfort. With that, I complained about the rough stuff and do not hear what God was saying to me.

Yet some years ago, and with other believers, we began praying for the salvation of unsaved loved ones using the phrase “whatever it takes” even as we realized this was a dangerous way to pray. We knew that God could bring disaster into their lives to alert them to their need for Jesus. Even so, it took me a long time to realize that I also may need disaster to expose my selfishness and to realize how little I depend on the Savior.

Today’s reading says “welcome every event of life as God’s servant bringing me something from Him, to overlook the disagreeableness of the messenger in the joy of the message, and to forget the hurt of the trial in the sweetness of the blessing it brings.”

The example is Paul. He wrote:

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7–10)

I learned the same thing — that it is good to be weak and that is when God’s goodness shines brightest. What I’d missed is thinking about the thorn in the flesh. I saw it as a messenger from Satan to keep me from being strong in the Lord, but didn’t see it also as a messenger from God to tell me that I needed His sufficient grace rather than removal of the thorn or a cure for the discomfort or even rest from the agony it was producing in me. He allowed the thorn to be put there — remember, all things are His servants, even thorns. Even the evil one cannot do anything without His permission (read Job 1-2).

PRAY: Jesus, I cannot be thankful for my sinful failures but I can be thankful that You use even them to show me how much I need You and how much You love me and want me to live for You… whatever it takes.

Don’t be a Drop-Out

 

When David’s men went to war and he stayed home, he got in trouble. Instead of fighting, he was tempted by gazing at a beautiful woman and eventually killing her husband and taking her as his wife.

The people of God are in a spiritual war. The ruler of this world spreads his lies and draws Christians away from prayer. Yesterday I stayed home from the battle. My foot was injured when I fell (September 1) and is not healing as it should. I’m behind in my commitment to make quilts for a particular refugee family. These and other thoughts and activities occupied my mind instead of prayer. The Spirit nagged a bit, but I ignored His nudges.

Today’s devotional contains these verses about being faithful in prayer — and God’s timing is right on target:

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— (Ephesians 6:17–18)

(Jesus said) Stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36)

The apostles said, “we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:4) as did godly people like Cornelius even though he was not yet a Christian: “At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God.” (Acts 10:1–2)

Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. (Romans 12:11–12)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6–7)

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18)

I (Paul) desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control . . . .” (1 Timothy 2:8–9)

Jesus often went for extended periods of time alone to pray. Paul also prayed often . . .

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, (Colossians 1:9)

I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, (Philemon 4)

And because Jesus and Paul, a giant of the faith, needed to pray, it is folly for me to stop, even for a day.

PRAY: Jesus, I hear You loud and clear. Escape my worries and petty concerns by taking them to You and listening to what You have to say about them. Also, pray for others often, as I usually do. Once is good, but none of these verses suggest once is the norm. Just as human need is continual, You intend my prayers to be continual, not just reciting my list, but spending quality time in communication with You, my Lord and Savior. Forgive me for dropping out.

PONDER: More of the same . . .

But I call to God, and the Lord will save me. Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice. He redeems my soul in safety from the battle that I wage, for many are arrayed against me. (Psalm 55:16–18)

When Daniel knew that the document had been signed (forbidding prayer), he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. (Daniel 6:10)

In these days (Jesus) went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. (Luke 6:12)

She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day. (1 Timothy 5:5)