Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. — 1 Peter 5:7

It has been seven years since the Lord called my husband home to Heaven. When I found myself alone and had to cope with things that I had never had to do before, I called upon the Lord, and He helped me. The instruction to cast our cares on the Lord took on a new dimension, and God has been there for me in so many ways.

For example, one time I invited my siblings, my children, and a good friend for dinner. I had not cooked a large meal for some time, but this one did not seem as if it would be particularly stressful. The day before the dinner, I prepared everything possible to ease any last-minute pressure, and even though one of my eyes was having a problem, I was not panicked.

However, on the scheduled day, everything seemed to go wrong. The sciatic nerve in my leg started to hurt, which made walking difficult. The meat was not getting tender, and then I dropped a much-needed potato on the floor. It disintegrated into a mushy mess and I had to stop and clean the floor. Finally, I bowed my head and said, “Lord, You have to take over, I am casting this on You. I am weak but You are strong.” In just a few minutes, the telephone rang. It was the good friend I had invited to the dinner. She said, “I just have a feeling that I should come and help you.” How thankful I was for that call! Her assistance was an answer to prayer!

Aren’t we glad that the Lord cares for us enough to assist us with the insignificant things, as well as the big matters that come our way? Sometimes we may forget to take advantage of this help because we think we can manage on our own, but we could save ourselves much trouble by just calling on Him. If we can remember to give God the daily problems that seem small, then instead of being stressed and frustrated, we will have an answer to prayer, a testimony to share with others, and praise in our hearts. What a difference an “insignificant” problem can make when we cast it on the Lord!

At my dinner, the meat did get tender, there were potatoes left over, and everyone truly enjoyed the meal. Probably not one of my guests will remember the food, but I hope I will never forget how the Lord came through for me that day! It pays to cast our cares on Him.

BACKGROUND

In this chapter, Peter continued his instructions regarding the conduct of the believers. He addressed the elders, the young men, and all the saints.

The elders were the church leaders, mature individuals who handled the administration and pastoral responsibilities of the congregations. Even though he was one of the Apostles, Peter identified himself with the elders, noting that he could personally verify the authenticity of the sufferings of Christ.

Before the Lord’s ascension, He had told Peter three times to feed His sheep. Peter was fulfilling that charge, and in addition, he was passing the instruction on to the other elders. They were to act as shepherds toward the “flock,” or congregation. The word feed could be translated as “tend.” These leaders were to make sure their congregations were fed and protected spiritually.

Peter gave specific instructions. Even though the responsibility of leadership might be life-threatening, they were to do it willingly. Their motive was not to get monetary gain, but to have an eagerness to help others. They were to lead by living holy lives and not by being domineering. They would receive their rewards when Jesus Christ, the Chief Shepherd, appeared.

Again the Apostle exhorted believers to be submissive to one another. The elders were to care for the flocks, and the younger ones were to submit to the elders. However, they were all instructed to “be clothed with humility.” The Greek word for be clothed means to “tie on,” like a person would an apron. With humility firmly fixed in their lives, they would have the correct attitude toward each other and their Christian responsibilities, and could rely on God to handle their cares. The promise in verse 7 could be paraphrased: “Toss all your anxieties over to God, because He has meticulous and personal concern about you.”

Peter wanted these believers to be self-controlled (sober) and watchful (vigilant) because the enemy stalks and seeks to devour those who serve God. Spiritual survival is the result of steadfastly resisting in the faith. God has “all grace” and the power to make believers established and strong in Him.

It is generally accepted that Silvanus is the man referred to as Silas in the Book of Acts. He was a missionary companion to the Apostle Paul. Marcus was John Mark, who is also mentioned in the Book of Acts.

AMPLIFIED OUTLINE

(Hannah’s Bible Outlines - Used by permission per WORDsearch)
IV.   The conduct of the believer
     D.   In service (5:1-11)
           1.   Elders: shepherd the flock (5:1-4)
                 a.   Tend the flock (5:1-2)
                 b.   Be an example to the flock (5:3)
                 c.   The reward (5:4)
           2.   Young men: be subject [5a] (5:5)
           3.   All [5b-11] (5:6-11)
                 a.   Be humble [5b-6] (5:6)
                 b.   Be trustful (5:7)
                 c.   Be vigilant (5:8-9)
                 d.   Be confident (5:10-11)
V.   Conclusion (5:12-14)
     A.   Closing exhortation (5:12)
     B.   Greetings and benediction (5:13-14)

A CLOSER LOOK

1. With what did Peter tell the elders to be clothed?
   
   
2. What was Peter implying when he advised the believers to be sober?
   
   
3. How can we put on humility each day? 

CONCLUSION

God offers us relief from our burdens by encouraging us to throw them on Him. When we do, we will experience God’s strength to go forward.