“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” (1Peter 5:6-7)
The first thing I noticed upon reading these verses is what they say about God: (1) God’s hand is mighty and (2) God cares for you (God’s elect, strangers and scattered in the world). Let’s say that these are facts about God.
Accordingly, Apostle Peter has no doubt that God can lift you up from anything or anywhere because His hand is mighty, too mighty that nothing is impossible for Him to do. However, the question is, can you or will you humble yourself under God’s mighty hand? To me it sounds like the apostle is saying that my not being lifted up does not reflect on God but on me.
Some of us have been humbled by life’s circumstances but we have refused to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand. See, it is possible to be poor and proud in the meantime. It is possible to be sick, heart-broken, hungry, homeless, and proud in the meantime. Yet, these verses seem to suggest that God lifts up those who humble themselves under his mighty hand. May you be one of them.
Note that you are called to humble yourself under God’s mighty hand, not under anything else. The picture is of you seeking shelter or refuge under God’s hand -the opposite of fighting back by taking matters exclusively into your own hands.
We also noticed that apostle Peter has no doubt that God cares for you. In this he echoes Apostle Paul who writes in Romans 8:32, “He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all -how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” Having given up His Son for us, what else could God possible withhold from us? Nothing of course!
Hence, Peter rightly calls us to cast our anxiety or burden on God. Knowing that God cares for me is what should prompt me to cast my anxiety or burdens on him. It is dangerous to cast your anxiety on someone who does not care for you! This reminds me of the husband who did not share his anxiety with his wife because, sad to say, he believed that she did not really care for him -lack of care killed communication at a deeper level (intimacy) for the couple…. The opposite is also true. I understand that it is not enough for someone to claim caring for someone else as caring is an active verb, like love. Caring is demonstrated.
God cares for you, no doubt. The cross of Calvary established it as historical fact. You can be assured that casting your anxiety, cares or burdens, on Him is never in vain.
Lord grant that we will humble ourselves under your mighty hand and daily cast our anxiety on you in Jesus’ name. Amen!
