Be not dismayed whate’er betide,
God will take care of you;
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. (I Pe. 5:6-7)
Peter exhorts believers to cast their cares upon the Lord. He knows what he’s talking about. Peter is a fisherman. He knows that before casting his fishing net, he must remove the tangles and debris from it. Then he carefully loads it on his hand and casts it into the water, aiming at his target. When he has successfully cast his net, he retrieves the catch. God wants His children to cast their cares and anxieties on Him just as Peter casts his fishing net.
All of us are tangled with the debris of cares that hinder us from a heart devoted to God. Cares that arise when unbelief and distrust creep in, diverting our mind and hindering our walk with the Lord. Cares that threaten our peace with God, leaving behind a divided soul, unable to rely on either God or self. Peter tells us to cast—to release with force—our burdens on the Lord, entrusting our lives to His foresight. We can depend on Jesus for grace and strength, believing that the Lord will enable us to endure whatever storms we confront on the sea of our lives. When do, the stormy seas of our lives are replaced with a peaceful assurance that God knows what is best. He sees we cannot see. We see only what is in front of us now. We gain insight into the God of all peace Who has given His assurance that He is with us. Faith increases, our soul unites; we have humbled ourselves under the mighty Hand of God.
Have you cast your cares, anxieties, and worries (every condition—physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional) on the One who cares for you? The One who condescends from heaven to meet your needs. The One who has numbered the hairs on your head. The One who will never leave you nor forsake you. The One who will not—and cannot—forget or neglect you. When you humble yourself under His mighty hand, when you shelter under His protective wing, when you present Him with the troubles of your life, anxiety turns to trust, dismay to delight, fear to peace. Faith grows. Are you restless? Cast your cares on Him. Are you discouraged? Cast your cares on Him. Are you disappointed? Cast your cares on Him. Though parents, neighbors, friends, and those whom you have loved may neglect you, God will not. No matter what storms life may throw at you, God will take care of you. “Be not dismayed whatever betide, God will take care of you.”