When my son was little, he was trying to carry around three of his toys, but it was more than his little arms could handle. As he repeatedly dropped a toy, picked it up, and dropped another one, I finally said, “Christopher, you’re carrying too many things.” He looked up at me and replied, “No, I’m carrying three many things!” 

Some days, my worries feel this way—there’s just too many (or three many!) to carry all at once. One of the first Bible verses I memorized as a child was 1 Peter 5:7, and it’s still one of my favorites: “ . . . casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” But I Peter 5:7 is a sentence fragment. It’s grammatically and ideologically connected to the previous verse: 

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all of your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (I Peter 5:6-7).  

It requires humility to stop trying to manage and control our own circumstances and acknowledge that we are not God. As we’re humbling ourselves, we’re casting all our anxieties on Him. We hurl our worries from our weak hands into His mighty hand, because we are not God, but we know the great I AM. 

Throw your financial uncertainties on Him. He is your provider. 

Throw your family worries on Him. He loves your loved ones even more than you do. 

Throw your failures on Him. He saves you by His grace and mercy. 

Throw your fears for the future on Him. His purposes cannot be thwarted, and He will be faithful to you. 

As you let go of your worries and cast them on the Lord, you can have confidence that He will receive them. As verse 7 promises, He cares for you. Your worries do not fall on deaf ears or a hard heart. Your cares are cared for by your Heavenly Father. 

No matter what you face this week, cast your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you. 

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Several years ago, my son and I joined his classmates at nearby camp for a day of activities. The schedule included hiking, nature studies, and a visit to one of those bizarre ropes-course contraptions that you only find at camp. This one is called “The Screamer.”

One by one, they harnessed in a kid, and the rest of the classmates pulled on a big rope to hoist the victim to what seemed like a totally irresponsible height. Then the kids on the ground would let go of the rope and the daredevil would go swinging through the air like a giant pendulum until the laws of physics eventually brought him to a stop. 

I thought, It’s a good thing this is only for kids. 

And then they asked if any of the moms wanted to try. 

I never want to pass up an opportunity to make memories with my kids. So I strapped on that harness and up I went. All I could think in the moment before the kids let go of the rope was, “I really hope this harness holds.” 

What are you trusting to hold you today as you fly through life? God’s Word says those who belong to Him are held by His righteous right hand:

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

His presence is the antidote for our anxiety: “Fear not, for I am with you.” We don’t have to despair, because He is ours, and we are His: “Do not be dismayed, for I am your God.” Through the storms and trials of life, all the power and guidance we could ever need is provided by His righteous right hand: “I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you . . . “ 

God’s got us. He’s not letting go. His righteous right hand will never fail to hold us and provide the strength we need for each moment. 

No matter what you face this week, God holds you with His unfailing strength. 

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When I’m awakened by the sound of loud thunder, I usually know what will happen next. The dog arrives first, released from the bedroom of the little girl who follows him. The dog settles in at the foot of the bed, while my daughter crawls in next to me. 

When my daughter is scared, she doesn’t want to be alone. Her dolls and stuffed animals can’t provide the comfort she needs, and not even her beloved dog is sufficient. She seeks comfort in the presence of those who know what she needs and love her. 

I’m trying to teach my daughter to turn to the Lord when she’s afraid—and not just so she’ll start sleeping in her own bed through a thunderstorm. I love comforting her when I can, but I know there will be times when life is hard and I’m not just down the hallway. I want her to learn that there is One who loves her even more than I do. Her Heavenly Father is always with her.  

“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” (Psalm 139:7-10)

God is present everywhere we go. He is always with us, and He is always holding and guiding us. He cares about every detail of our life and every moment of our struggles. 

This month as we’ve studied God’s provision, we’ve seen how God provides for our needs, gives wisdom, and equips us. But best of all, He provides His presence. Every decision we wrestle with, He will lead us. Every storm we endure, He will hold us. Everywhere we go, He is there. 

No matter what you face this week, God is with you.  

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A few years ago, I stared out the window on a Saturday morning, sipping coffee and enjoying the early morning quiet of a house filled with my sleeping people. The silence was broken by a sound I interpreted at first to be my children jumping up and down upstairs. But the way the house was shaking, there must have been twenty kids jumping, and that couldn’t be right. The waves of realization came slowly across my slightly-caffeinated brain: an earthquake. 

I had no idea where I should be or what I should do. I live in Arkansas, not California! Was I supposed to bring everyone downstairs to a bathroom, like in a tornado? Get everyone out of the house like in a fire? Get under a desk or into a doorway? Thankfully, the earthquake ended by the time I gathered my confused, bleary-eyed family, and we were fine. 

After we settled down, I was struck by how unprepared I was for the earthquake. When the unexpected happens, we often find ourselves unprepared. We feel scared, confused, even frantic. Life is happening, and we need to act or respond, but we have no clue what to do. 

Ephesians 2:10 promises us that God has equipped us for all that He calls us to do: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” 

We are His workmanship. He has good works for us to do, which He has prepared beforehand. Fueled by the Holy Spirit, we can walk freely in the work He asks us to do. 

If you’re anxious about the tasks your week will bring, you can be sure of this: God has equipped you in every way to tackle the to-do list He’s given you. This is just one of the many ways God provides for you. 

No matter what you face this week, God has prepared you for this, because you are His workmanship. 

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