|















| |
INDEX
PREVIOUS
NEXT
|
COLLECTIONS
Commentaries, Word
Studies, Devotionals, Sermons, Illustrations
Old and New Testament. |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
1 Peter
5:6
Therefore
humble yourselves
under the
mighty
hand of
God, that He may
exalt you at the
proper
time, (NASB:
Lockman) |
Greek:
Tapeinothete (2PAPM)
oun
hupo
ten
krataian
cheira
tou
theou,
hina
humas
hupsose (3SAAS)
en
kairo
Amplified:
Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own
estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may
exalt you,
(Amplified
Bible - Lockman)
ICB: So be humble
under God's powerful hand. Then he will lift you up when the right
time comes.
NLT: So
humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and in his good time
he will honor you. (NLT
- Tyndale House)
Phillips: So, humble yourselves under God's strong hand, and in
his own good time he will lift you up. (New
Testament in Modern English)
Wuest: Permit
yourselves therefore to be humbled under the mighty hand of God, in
order that you He may exalt in an appropriate season (Erdmans)
Young's Literal: be humbled, then, under the powerful hand of
God, that you He may exalt in good time, |
|
|
|
|
THEREFORE
HUMBLE
YOURSELVES: Tapeinothete (2PAPM) oun:
(Make a list of the truths on humility you discover in the
following OT cross references - you will be edified and you
might also be humbled!)
(Ex 10:3; Lev 26:41; 1Ki 21:29; 2Ki
22:19; 2Chr 12:6,7,12; 30:11; 32:26; 2Chr 33:12,19,23; 36:12; Pr
29:23; Is 2:11; 57:15; Jer 13:18; 44:10; Da 5:22; Mic 6:8; Lk 14:11;
18:14; James 4:6, 4:10; 5:10) (See Torrey's analysis of the topic
Humility)
Related Resources:
Humility; John Piper's sermon "Are
You Humble Enough to be Care-Free?"
"Therefore"
(oun), which serves as a challenge to both leaders and
followers in the previous verses,
in order to receive God's grace, be
willing to submit with a humble attitude for
"GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE
PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE" (James 4:6)
J Vernon McGee adds that
"It is only when you and I come in
humility that we will be able to know the grace of God....In
view of the coming of Christ, humility should be the attitude of the
child of God. Christ is the one who will establish justice and make
things right when He comes. You cannot straighten out this world,
although you may think you can." (Thru the Bible Commentary,
volume 5, p713)
Humble
(5013)(tapeinoo)
(Click
in depth study of root word
tapeinos) literally means to
bring to the ground or make level and figuratively to abase or cause
someone to lose prestige or status) is an aorist command (aorist
imperative) which is a call to make decision and even conveys a sense of urgency. The idea is "Do this now! Don't
delay!" The
passive voice indicates that we are to allow ourselves to be humbled by God.
Allow God to lower your level of autonomy or your own estimation
of yourself.
Be willing to take a low place (which is literally what he verb humble implies), a place such as becomes you. Do not
evince pride and haughtiness and do not exalt yourselves above others. Allow yourself to be humbled, accepting
your lot and circumstances either sent by or allowed by the
omnipotent, sovereign God Who loves you and desires your best and His
glory through you.
(cf 1Peter 1:7-note). God will often allow
suffering to bring about the fruit of humility in us. God allows or
brings circumstances into our lives that we might understand that we
are at the mercy of the Designer Who desires ultimately to conform us
to "to the image of His Son" (Romans 8:29, 30 see notes
Ro 8:29-30).
In His
sovereignty and providence, God will place events and people
into our live so that we can begin to see our need for Him.
Grant Richison points out that
"Humility
is our responsibility...Humility is not self-effacement.
It is not standing round shouldered. Do not confuse humility
with asceticism. A humble person can use the first person singular
"I." Humility is an attitude toward God that gives Him the
credit for who we are and what we do."
Humility is not thinking
humbly of oneself (see discussion of the first beatitude ). Rather, it
is having the proper estimate of oneself in relationship to God (cf
Romans 12:3-note). The Christian virtue of
humility is the exact opposite of the worst of sins, which is pride.
The pagan world did not admire humility. Instead, they admired pride
and domination. The person with humility thinks of others first and
not of himself and admits to a sense of dependence on God.
Kenneth Wuest writes that
“Humility is a vice with heathen moralists, but a
virtue with Christian apostles. Humility, when it becomes
self-conscious, ceases to have any value."
UNDER THE
MIGHTY HAND OF GOD: HUPSOO: hupo ten krataian cheira tou theou:
(Ex 3:19,20; 32:11)
Mighty
(2900)
(krataios from
kratos [word study] = power, strength)
refers to strength which is manifested. In context this indicates God
is manifesting His strength in our lives, usually through allowing of
providential circumstances (or people). Krataios
refers to ruling power or the ability to rule and gives us our English
words "autocratic" and "democratic".
"The...hand of God"
was an OT picture of God's active presence and power working in the
experience of men to accomplish His sovereign purpose (cf. Ex.
3:19,20; Dt 3:24 Job 30:20, 21 1Sa 5:11, 2Chr 30:12, Job 19:21). It refers to God's hand
upon our destiny. Of course "the hand of God" is not literally
referring to His hand but is what is called an anthropomorphism
(an interpretation of God in terms of human or personal
characteristics) and here is another way of describing God's
providential activity or "manifest strength" in our lives, divinely
orchestrating every circumstance and every trial that comes our way.
Peter's inference is that we are
not to fight the sovereign hand of God, even (or especially) when His
hand brings us into times of testing. We need to remember that because
He is sovereign (in total control), whatever we experience must first
be "filtered" through His "strong (omnipotent) hand of
everlasting love". Do you resent challenging circumstances that
God places/allows into your life? We all need to come to the
point where we like the Psalmist, declare to God that
"Thou hast a
strong arm. Thy hand is mighty. Thy right hand is exalted." (Ps 89:13)
John MacArthur notes that
"One
of the evidences of lack of submission and humility is impatience with
God in His work of humbling believers."
THAT HE MAY
EXALT YOU: hina humas hupsose (3SAAS):(Job 36:22; Ps 75:10;
89:16,17; Is 40:4; Ezek 17:21; 21:6; James 1:9,10)
"That"
(hina) is a purpose clause, explaining in part the end result of
humbling one's self before God. He will lift up suffering, submissive
believers in His wisely appointed time ("in his good time he will
honor you", NLT) "Exalt"
(5312) (set you on high, lift up) (hupsoo) means to be lifted
up or elevated and in context refers to a spiritual lifting or in a
sense a revival. God will cause us to rise spiritually and we will
placed on a higher spiritual plane when we humble ourselves before
Him. James adds the command
"Humble yourselves in the
presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you." (Js 4:10)
The cross before the crown principle was also taught by Jesus Who
declared that
"whoever exalts himself shall be humbled;
and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted." (Mt
23:12) Mary in her exaltation of the Lord said "He has
brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those
who were humble." (Lk 1:52) Humbling ourselves in order to be exalted is one of those great
paradoxes of Christianity. If you want to go up, you must go down.
John the Baptist understood this important but basic spiritual
principle declaring of Christ that
"He must (present tense =
continually) increase, but I must (present tense = continually)
decrease." (Jn 3:30)
Paul had the "mighty
hand of God" upon
him in the form of a "thorn" (whatever that was) in his side
and thereby came to understand that Christ's "...grace is
sufficient..., for power is perfected in weakness."
As a result
Paul went on to exclaim
"Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that
the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with
weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with
difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong." (2Cor 12:9-10)
AT THE
PROPER TIME: en kairo: (Dt 32:35; 1Ti 2:6; Titus 1:3)
"In due time” (Amplified)
"when the time comes you may be lifted up" (BBE)
"in an appropriate season" (Wuest)
At the proper time (2540)
(kairos) (Click
here
or
here
for in depth discussion of kairos)
means a point of time or period of
time, frequently with the implication of being especially fit for
something and without emphasis on precise chronology. It means a
moment or period as especially a favorable time (at the right time).
Vincent writes that
kairos
"implies a particular time; as
related to some event, a convenient, appropriate time; absolutely, a
particular point of time, or a particular season, like spring or
winter."(1Peter 5: Greek Word Studies)
TDNT
writes that kairos
"has the sense of a “decisive
moment,” again with positive, neutral, or negative implications,
though the positive one of fortune is the most common. Fortune in this
sense is not fate, but the chance that must be boldly grasped...a cult
of the god Kairos is also found...a statue of Kairos by
Lysippos, (depicted a naked young man) with winged feet poised
(prepared, ready, all set)… His only attribute apart from the winged
feet was a striking hair-style, a lock at the front with short hair
behind.” The latter characteristic confirms the fact that even
religiously Kairos originally had the character of decision, since the
lock of hair is a symbol that one must take the favorable opportunity
by the forelock, so that even religiously a summons to action
is implied." (See the epigram below...this annotation is not meant to
condone the futility of pagan mythology but I do believe that this
pagan epigram conveys a reasonable portrayal of what all Christians
should seek to do - seize the day, redeem the time, take advantage of
every kairos opportunity while there is yet time [opportunum tempus -
opportunity flees] and the night is coming when no man can work.)
(Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., and Bromiley, G. W.
Theological Dictionary of the New
Testament.
Eerdmans)
God will exalt us in His own good time. God never exalts anyone
until that person is ready for it. First the cross, then the crown;
first the suffering, then the glory. Moses was under God’s hand for 40
yrs before God sent him to deliver the Jews from Egypt. Joseph was
under God’s hand for at least 13 yrs before God lifted him to the
throne.
This verse should encourage you
that the trial does have an end and that the suffering saint will not
forever be left in a low and depressed state. Also be encouraged that
God will exalt you in the best time, for His timing is
perfect. Paul says in Romans (speaking of God's timing in saving us)
that
"while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died
for the ungodly." (Romans
5:6 note)
If He can save
us the "first" time at the right time, much more He is able to save us
at the right time after salvation.
In Faith's Checkbook,
Spurgeon wrote the following devotional entitled "Bow Down to Be
Lifted Up" on 1 Peter 5:6...
This is tantamount to a promise: if
we will bow down, the Lord will lift us up. Humility leads to honor;
submission is the way to exaltation. That same hand of God which
presses us down is waiting to raise us up when we are prepared to bear
the blessing. We stoop to conquer. Many cringe before men, and yet
miss the patronage they crave. But he that humbles himself under the
hand of God shall not fail to be enriched, uplifted, sustained, and
comforted by the ever-gracious One. It is a habit of Jehovah to cast
down the proud and lift up the lowly.
Yet there is a time for the Lord’s
working. We ought now to humble ourselves, even at this present
moment; and we are bound to keep on doing so whether the Lord lays His
afflicting hand upon us or not. When the Lord smites, it is our
special duty to accept the chastisement with profound submission. But
as for the Lord’s exaltation of us, that can only come “in due
time,” and God is the best judge of that day and hour. Do we cry out
impatiently for the blessing? Would we wish for untimely honor? What
are we at? Surely we are not truly humbled, or we should wait with
quiet submission. So let us do. |
|
|
1 Peter
5:7
casting
all your
anxiety on Him,
because He
cares for you. (NASB:
Lockman) |
|
Greek:
pasan
ten
merimnan
humon
epiripsantes (AAPMPN)
ep'
auton,
hoti
auto
melei (3SPAI)
peri
humon
Amplified:
Casting the whole of your
care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once
and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares
about you watchfully.
(Amplified
Bible - Lockman)
ICB: Give all your worries to him, because he cares for you.
NLT: Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about
what happens to you. (NLT
- Tyndale House)
Phillips: You can throw the whole weight of your anxieties upon
him, for you are his personal concern. (Wuest:
Expanded Translation: Erdmans)
Wuest: having deposited with Him once for all the whole of your
worry, because to Him it is a matter of concern respecting you. (Erdmans)
Young's Literal: all your care having cast upon Him, because He
careth for you. |
|
|
CASTING
ALL YOU ANXIETY
UPON HIM: pasan ten merimnan humon epiripsantes (AAPMPN) ep auton: (1Sa
1:10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18; 30:6; Ps 27:13,14; 37:5; 55:22;
56:3,4; Mt 6:25,34; Lk 12:11,12,22; Php 4:6; Heb 13:5,6)
Related Resources: Anxious?
Worried? See
Jesus' discussion on Worry/Anxiety in the Sermon on the Mount -
Matthew 6:25-26,
Matthew 6:27-29,
Matthew 6:30-32,
Matthew 6:33-34
For a small booklet click
What Can I Do With My Worry?
(see also
When Fear Seems Overwhelming:
Finding Courage and Hope)
Click
here for 26 Illustrative Stories on "Fear" from
Our Daily Bread
Casting...upon
(1977) (epirrhipto
from epí
= upon + rhípto = cast) means to throw or cast upon. To throw
something upon something else, e.g., throw clothes on an animal for
riding (Lu 19:35, the only other NT use)
Note
that the verb
"Casting...upon"
is a participle (ends in "-ing") making it dependent upon verse
six and therefore becoming one of the means by which we humble
ourselves. What could inhibit us from doing this? Pride can keep you
from being willing to humble yourself in this way. You say "I'll do it
my way." But God's care comes when we humble ourselves and trust in
and depend upon His
grace. And we are humble when we depend on God's grace to live the
Christian life. Peter earlier said to
"let those also who suffer
according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful
Creator" (1Peter 4:19)
"Casting...upon"
is in the
aorist tense which Vincent says denotes "an
act once for all; throwing the whole life with its care on Him."
We must once and for all give all of our cares—past, present, and
future—to the Lord. The literal picture is seen in
Luke 19:35 where
"They brought
(the colt) to Jesus, and they threw their coats on
the colt and put Jesus on it."
They did not
throw pieces of their coat on the colt but the "all" of the coat.
How did Paul say
to "cast your cares upon God"? In his epistle to the Philippians, Paul
exhorted them to
"Worry about nothing; pray about everything."
That is, take it
to the Lord in prayer, and leave it there! Don’t pick it up again.
Similarly believers are to cast
"all" (the whole in its entirety) of their care upon Him.
The emphasis is not on casting each individual anxiety, but on casting
the whole of one's life upon the Lord. Stated another way, Peter does
not say to be "casting the big burdens and keeping the little ones!"
We all need to come to the place where we realize that
God is all sufficient for all problems
that may come into our lives. No heartache, difficulty or problem is
too difficult for the plan of God. No sin is too great for the plan of
God. Beloved, our heavenly Father is willing and able to carry our
heaviest (and lightest) burdens but before we can experience God's
sufficiency, we need to acknowledge our insufficiency to live the
Christian life. Is there some anxiety you carrying just now, dear
child of God? What is your heartache? What grief do you bear today?
What disappointment? What hurt feeling? Whatever the burden, go to His
throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace by casting it upon
Him, for He does not want you to carry that burden.
Peter is probably quoting from
the psalm which
Cast your burden (releasing the weight of it) upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the
righteous to be shaken (made to slip, fall or fail). (Ps
55:22)
Spurgeon comments: Thy
burden, or what thy God lays upon thee, lay thou it upon the Lord. His
wisdom casts it on thee, it is thy wisdom to cast it on Him. He cast
thy lot for thee, cast thy lot on Him. He gives thee thy portion of
suffering, accept it with cheerful resignation, and then take it back
to Him by thine assured confidence.
He shall sustain thee. Thy bread shall be given thee, thy waters shall
be sure. Abundant nourishment shall fit thee to bear all thy labors
and trials. As thy days so shall thy strength be.
He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. He may move like the
boughs of a tree in the tempest, but He shall never be moved like a
tree torn up by the roots. He stands firm who stands in God. Many
would destroy the saints, but God has not suffered it, and never will.
Like pillars, the godly stand immoveable, to the glory of the Great
Architect
Anxiety:(3308)
(merimna
from merizo = to divide or
draw different directions - which is exactly what anxiety does
to most of us!) refers to a care (the sole way it is translated
in the KJV) or concern and so to care for someone or something. It is
often used in a negative sense and thus is translated as "worry".
From the origin, one can see that merimna describes the state
of "being pulled apart.” Thus when circumstances are difficult, it is
easy to let oneself be dominated by anxiety and worry.
Merimna
is used 6 times in the NT (Matt. 13:22; Mk. 4:19; Lk. 8:14; 21:34;
2Co. 11:28; 1 Pet. 5:7)
and is translated KJV (6) - care, 6 and NAS (6) - anxiety, 1; concern,
1; worries, 3; worry, 1 There are 5 uses in the Septuagint - Esther
1:1; Job 11:18; Ps. 55:22; Prov. 17:12; Da. 11:26
George
Morrison said,
God does not make His children
carefree (Ed note: freedom from anxiety producing situations)
in order that they be careless.
Richards
has an excellent summary of
merimnao (see
word study) and merimna noting that...
When used by the Greeks concerning
the future...both came to connote anxious expectation.
When used of the present, the words expressed an aching sense of
grief. The meaning of any term, however, is defined by the way it
is used. It is the way that Jesus and the writers of the Gospels and
Epistles, guided by the Holy Spirit, used words that filled them with
their biblical meaning...But while it is legitimate to have concerns
that we will at times experience as demanding pressures, there is a
limit to their legitimacy. The "worries of this life" may so dominate
our attention that they make God's Word unfruitful in our lives (Mt
13:22; Mark 4:19). The pressures of legitimate concerns can cause us to
so focus on worldly matters that we forget to relate our needs and our
worries to the Lord...By linking legitimate concerns to God, believers
are freed from anxiety and worry. This freedom allows us to
concentrate on seeking God's kingdom and his righteousness, knowing
that "all these things will be given to [us] as well." So Jesus
concludes, "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about
itself."
What the pagan Greeks experienced as anxious concern over a tomorrow
they could not control, the believer who knows God as a loving Father
can experience in calm confidence. Released from fears about tomorrow,
we can concentrate on doing God's will today, as obedient subjects of
a kingdom over which the Almighty rules.
The Gospels recognize the tendency
of legitimate human concerns to lead to a loss of perspective; we can
forget God and adopt a pagan materialism that looks ahead anxiously
and concentrates on running after the material things that seem to
offer security. In order to avoid this tendency, believers must orient
life to God and realize that life's meaning is to be found in living
as subjects who are responsive to their loving, wise, and powerful
King.
Both anxiety and worry spring from
natural and legitimate concerns that are part of life in this world.
But legitimate concerns are handled wrongly when they do one or more
of the following: (1) become dominating concerns in our life and lead
to fear, (2) destroy our perspective on life and cause us to forget
that God exists and cares, or (3) move us to drift into an attitude of
constant worry and concern over a future that we cannot control.
Jesus deals with anxiety by calling us to an awareness of God. God
does exist, and he cares. He is aware of our needs and is committed to
meet our needs. Remaining aware of God frees us from the tyranny of
things. It enables us to focus our lives on our relationship with God
and go on living a righteous and productive life.
The Epistles add to our understanding by pointing out that areas of
legitimate anxiety exist even for the strongest of believers. But the
pressures of even legitimate concerns are not to dominate us or to
make us habitually anxious, worried people. We escape by using anxiety
creatively. This means that we must recognize the feelings of pressure
and concern as a call to prayer. We should immediately turn to God to
lay our needs and the needs of others before him. We then turn back to
live our lives encompassed by his peace. Anxiety, rather than drawing
us away from God, draws us to Him and thus fulfills His purpose for it
in our lives.(Richards,
L O: Expository Dictionary of Bible Words: Regency) (Bolding added)
Louw & Nida
comment that merimna describes
"a feeling of apprehension or
distress in view of possible danger or misfortune. The term merimna
may refer to either unnecessary worry or legitimate concern. The
equivalent of ‘worry’ may be expressed in some languages in an
idiomatic manner, for example, ‘to be killed by one’s mind’ or ‘to be
pained by thinking.’ (Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. Greek-English Lexicon
of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains Vol. 1, Page 312. New
York: United Bible Societies)
Barclay
observes that in a secular Greek writing (a papyrus letter)...
a wife writes to her absent
husband:
“I cannot sleep at night or by
day, because of the worry (merimna) I have about your welfare.”
A mother, on hearing of her son’s
good health and prosperity writes back:
“That is all my prayer and all my
anxiety (merimna).”
Anacreon, the poet, writes:
“When I drink wine, my worries
(merimna) go to sleep.”
In Greek the word is the
characteristic word for anxiety, and worry, and care. (Barclay,
W: The Daily Study Bible Series. The Westminster Press
or
Logos)
Vine
gives a very illustrative definition of "merimna" (Click
in depth study on related verb
merimnao): stating that
merimna
(3308)
is probably connected with
merizo,
(3307)
“to draw in different directions, distract,”
hence signifies “that which causes this
[that is, this effect of being
drawn in different directions], a care, especially an anxious care”.
To worry is in essence to have a "divided mind" (See RBC
booklet
What Can I Do With My Worry?).
Strong's Lexicon also states
that
merimna
is
from "merizo,
(3307)
through the idea of distraction." So clearly
that which worries or causes anxiety is that which distracts us and
tends to draw us in different directions (compare our common
expression "I feel like everything is falling apart").
Meyer
writes that...
The word anxiety comes from
the same root as anger, and suggests the idea of choking. Worry
chokes the life of faith. It does not help us to overcome our
difficulties, but unfits us for dealing with them. No weapon that is
formed against us shall prosper; every tongue that shall rise against
us shall be condemned; our bread shall be given, and our water sure.
God will perfect that which concerneth us, and His goodness and mercy
shall never cease. Roll thyself and thy burden on the Lord, and leave
them there. Too many take them back again! (F B Meyer. Our Daily Walk)
The
picture even becomes more vivid when we look at
a summary of English dictionary definitions of each word...
Anxious: Characterized by extreme uneasiness of mind or brooding
fear about some contingency (Webster, modern). Worried and tense
because of possible misfortune, danger, etc. (Collins) Experiencing
worry, nervousness, or unease. (Oxford) Concern or solicitude
respecting some event, future or uncertain, which disturbs the mind,
and keeps it in a state of painful uneasiness. it expresses more than
uneasiness or disturbance, and even more than trouble or solicitude.
it usually springs from fear or serious apprehension of evil, and
involves a suspense respecting an event, and often, a perplexity of
mind, to know how to shape our conduct. (Webster, 1828) A state of
restlessness and agitation, often with general indisposition and a
distressing sense of oppression at the epigastrium. (Webster, 1913)
Worry: feel or cause to feel troubled over actual or potential
difficulties. Expressing anxiety. (Concise Oxford). To choke or
strangle - to harass by tearing, biting, or snapping especially at the
throat. Mental distress or agitation resulting from concern usually
for something impending or anticipated. Worry suggests fretting over
matters that may or may not be real cause for anxiety (Webster) To be
or cause to be anxious or uneasy, esp. about something uncertain or
potentially dangerous. To disturb the peace of mind of (Collins)
Worry has
a fascinating etymology summarized below
Worrying may shorten one's life,
but not as quickly as it once did. The ancestor of our word, Old
English wyrgan, meant “to strangle.” (Ed note: Isn't
this what worry does to our joy?)
Its Middle English descendant,
worien, kept this sense and developed the new sense “to grasp by
the throat with the teeth and lacerate” or “to kill or injure by
biting and shaking.” This is the way wolves or dogs might attack
sheep, for example.
In the 16th century worry began to
be used in the sense “to harass, as by rough treatment or attack,” or
“to assault verbally,” and in the 17th century the word took on the
sense “to bother, distress, or persecute.” It was a small step from
this sense to the main modern senses “to cause to feel anxious or
distressed” and “to feel troubled or uneasy,” first recorded in the
19th century. (American
Heritage Dictionary)
Besides
anxiety (be anxious) another word that is synonymous with worry
is the verb fret (derived from Old English word fretan
meaning to devour or consume), which literally means to eat or gnaw
into and figuratively pictures causing one to suffer emotional strain,
be distressed, or feel vexation. Again the etymology or origin of the
word fret so perfectly describes the detrimental, destructive
effect of the emotional state of worry and anxiety.
Are you
worried about your tendency to worry? Let me encourage you to turn
your attention to God, especially to an unhurried devotional study of
His character revealed in His names or more specifically in His
attributes (See "The
Attributes of God"). You will be amazed at how the
Spirit will renew our mind when we shift our focus off of the
perplexity of the problems and onto the perfection of the Problem
Solver, and once again appreciate that He is everywhere, knows
everything, is all powerful, and is able and willing to carry our
burdens (Ps 55:22, Heb 2:18-note).
Elisha
Hoffman the writer of the hymn
I MUST TELL JESUS
tells the story that
preceded his penning of the words...
There was a woman to whom God had
permitted many visitations of sorrow and affliction. Coming to her
home one day, I found her much discouraged. She unburdened her heart,
concluding with the question, “Brother Hoffman, what shall I do?” I
quoted from the word, then added, “You cannot do better than to take
all of your sorrows to Jesus. You must tell Jesus.”
For a moment she seemed lost in meditation. Then her eyes lighted as
she exclaimed, “Yes, I must tell Jesus.” As I left her home I had a
vision of that joy-illuminated face…and I heard all along my pathway
the echo, “I must tell Jesus. I must tell Jesus.”
I MUST TELL JESUS
I must tell Jesus
all of my trials;
I cannot bear these burdens alone;
In my distress He kindly will help me;
He ever loves and cares for His own.
Refrain
I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!
I cannot bear my burdens alone;
I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!
Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.
I must tell Jesus all of my troubles;
He is a kind, compassionate friend;
If I but ask Him, He will deliver,
Make of my troubles quickly an end.
Refrain
Tempted and tried, I need a great Savior;
One Who can help my burdens to bear;
I must tell Jesus, I must tell Jesus;
He all my cares and sorrows will share.
Refrain
O how the world to evil allures me!
O how my heart is tempted to sin!
I must tell Jesus, and He will help me
Over the world the victory to win.
Refrain
Elisha's
Hoffman's story and hymn beg the question...
Have
you told Jesus?
Spurgeon
offers this interesting perspective to those who are hesitant to cast
their cares on Him writing that...
There is nothing Christ dislikes
more than for His people to make show of Him and not to use Him. He
loves to be worked. He is a great laborer. He always was for His
Father, and now He loves to be a great laborer for His brethren. The
more burdens you put on His shoulders, the better He will love you.
Cast your burden on Him.
><>><>><>
Our Daily
Bread has the following devotional on "worry"...
Worry is merely unbelief
parading in disguise! The Scriptures repeatedly warn us against this
grievous sin. Ian Maclaren ex-claims, "What does your anxiety do? It
does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but it does empty today of its
strength. It does not make you escape the evil; it makes you unfit to
cope with it when it comes. God gives us the power to bear all the
sorrow of His making, but He does not guarantee to give us strength to
bear the burdens of our own making such as worry induces."
An experienced physician decided to analyze the "worriers" who were
his patients. He found that 40 percent of them were apprehensive over
things that never happened. About 30 per-cent concerned themselves
with past matters now beyond their control. Another 12 percent
anxiously feared the loss of their health, although their only illness
was in their imagination. And the rest worried about their families,
friends, and neighbors, but in most cases he discovered no basis for
their fears.
A bassoon player once came to the great conductor Toscanini with
furrowed brow and complained that his instrument would not sound the
high E flat. Toscanini smiled and replied, "Don't worry. There is no E
flat in your music tonight." The musician had been needlessly
apprehensive. Many of our worries are like that — unfounded and
unnecessary.
Worry is both unprofitable and ungodly. God's grace will be sufficient
for each day's need. Take comfort in this thought, and tread the
pathway of life with faith, not fear!
(Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
I walked life's
path with "Worry,"
Disturbed and quite unblessed,
Until I trusted Jesus;
Now "Faith" has given rest. — G.W.
Satan seeks to crush our spirit by
getting us to bear tomorrow's burdens with only today's grace!
><>><>><>
D. L. Moody
once quipped that...
A great many people seem to embalm their troubles. I always feel like
running away when I see them coming. They bring out their old mummy,
and tell you in a sad voice:
You don't know the troubles I have!
My friends, if you go to the Lord with your troubles, He will take
them away. Would you not rather be with the Lord and get rid of your
troubles, than be with your troubles and without God? Let trouble come
if it will drive us nearer to God.
It is a great thing to have a place of resort in the time of trouble.
How people get on without the God of the Bible is a mystery to me. If
I didn't have such a refuge, a place to go and pour out my heart to
God in such times, I don't know what I would do. It seems as if I
would go out of my mind. But to think, when the heart is burdened, we
can go and pour it into His ear, and then have the answer come back,
"I will be with him," there is comfort in that!
I thank God for the old Book. I thank God for this old promise. It is
as sweet and fresh today as it has ever been. Thank God, none of those
promises are out of date, or grown stale. They are as fresh and
vigorous and young and sweet as ever.
><>><>><>
Take courage: if
God doesn't choose to remove an obstacle, He will help you plow around
it!
Even though you
can't control your circumstances, you can control your attitude.
The perfect cure for worry is trust in God.
Anxiety
is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged, it
cuts a channel into which all others thoughts are drained | | |