(The following is the November 13 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read 1 Peter 5 and pay close attention to verses 6-7.)
We are blessed to have a person with whom we can share our heaviest burdens. If you have such a person in your life – a spouse, close friend, spiritual mentor, counselor, leader, or someone else – praise God for them and cherish them.
Regardless of whether we have human confidants, we have the best Person in the universe available to us every moment – our heavenly Father. No one loves us more. No one is more eager or capable of giving us what is in our best interests. Our Father knows what we are experiencing. He hears the cries of our hearts when we can’t form the words ourselves to express them adequately. God didn’t create us in his image to walk away and observe from a distance while we flounder around trying to manage life’s troubles. He loves us and wants an intimate, growing relationship with us.
How do we know God loves us? “But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). How many others have died for you? Yes, many have died in a military context, and others have faced situations where they gave their lives for others. We acknowledge and are grateful for their selfless acts. But Jesus is the only one who ever died in our place so we would have the opportunity for forgiveness and eternal life.
God is present when others walk away. He hears us wherever we are and whatever the cares that burden our souls. Because of who he is, we can do as Peter pleads: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you” (vv. 6-7).
May we eagerly accept this invitation from God, who loves us.
Next Step:
Set aside time to cast your cares on God in prayer. Find a quiet place free from distractions with no time pressures constraining you, and pour your heart out to your loving Father.