1 Peter 5: 6-8 - Help in Suffering

I was going to do a little bit about joy in Christ today, but a mate (who shall not be named) had told me of a few troubles which he is having and how he is struggling. So instead I’ve decided to do a very short bit about suffering and what God says about suffering and how not to loose faith, nor loose your way.

I take my text from the following;

1 Peter 5:6-8.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

God never said this lark would be easy. Not once does it say in the bible that a Christian walk is one that is all roses. The bible says that once we are Christians, we’re thrown into a battle. A battle between ourselves and temptation and a battle between God and Satan.

I’ve had many problems and I’ve major setbacks in my life and my Christian walk, those who know me closely know the intimate details however for those who do not know me so well, its not right for me to detail what and when things happened, just rest assured it hurt more than any other pain that I had encountered. We’ve all been at a spiritual low, and we’ve all felt emotionally and physically exhausted.

At these times we feel the furthest away from God we can do, I always imagine this like being at the bottom of a well, knowing God can hear our shouts but not being able to do anything about it. The truth of the matter is that God is with us in that well, and helping us to climb out.

In the passage, Peter is saying that we are to “Cast all your anxiety (cares, worries, problems) on him because he cares for you (us)”. Its an easy thing to type and its an easy thing to say because when you are at that low point, it seems to easy and too simple to cast your cares upon him, but if we remember that God is infinite and God hears all and he is ultimately, all powerful, we should feel comfortable in asking for God’s help.

Take heart and do not fret, God is watching over us and he cares for us, if we truly believe that, suddenly mountains are molehills, and wolves are like sheep.

Walk by Faith, not by sight.

Mikey.