Key scripture – “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:7).

How big is the burden that you are carrying these days?

The Bible has an answer to your heavy load. In 1 Peter 5, the Apostle Peter, encouraged his readers to humble themselves under God. 1 Peter 5:6-7 “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.” (1 Peter 5:6).

One of the ways you can express your humility to Him is by placing your burdens in His hands: “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:7).

Peter wanted us to see that worry is a form of pride because it involves taking concerns upon oneself instead of entrusting them to God. The basis for our “humble handover” is our confidence that Jesus’ shoulders are bigger and stronger than ours and that He’s genuinely concerned for our welfare.

If you are carrying a heavy load on your back, it’s time to lay your burdens down. Through humble prayer, you lay down your relationship problems, family problems, financial burdens, the uncertainty over your future, and sickness.

“Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved.” (Psalm 55:22).

This includes acknowledging your dependence on God—that your burdens are too heavy for you to carry, that you desperately need Him to help you carry the burdens, that you are completely handing over your cares and concerns to Him, and that you wait on Him and trust Him with all of your life.

The Lord has shown us in His Word some ways that we can cast our cares on Him. These are five excellent precepts which we should be ruled by, that we can rely on and live by, and put all our weight on because they are from God.

1. “Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:14).

Don’t try to figure out what you should do about your situation. Don’t run ahead of Him – instead wait, be still, pray, know that He is God, and that nothing is impossible for Him. “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10).

2. “Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.” (Psalm 37:3).

Trust in The Lord and have faith in Him. He is your hope. Live a life that shows that you believe in His Word, His promises, His favor, His Providence, and His Grace. You can do this by showing a diligent concern and care to obey His Word and serve Him according to His Will.

3. “Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4).

We must be excited that there is a God and that He has revealed Himself to us. We must delight ourselves in His beauty and bounty and we must always return to Him because He is our rest. When we delight in God, the promise from Him, which is very full and precious, is to give you the desires of your heart. The desires of the heart of a child of God are; to know, love, and live for God, to please Him and to be pleased by Him.

4. “Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.” (Psalm 37:5).

Let God be your guide, and submit everything in your life to His guidance and disposal. Leave everything to God, to His wise and good providence. Let Him order and dispose of all of your concerns and problems. Do your part and leave the rest to God.

5. “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes… For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.” (Psalm 37:7,9).

Stop fretting and panicking and living a hopeless existence where you are constantly saying; “What if this happens or what if that happens.” That is not restful. That is not living a fret free life. God does not want you to live in chaos, and be anxious and fretful. God wants you to understand that He will make all things work together for your good. We do not know how or what He will do or when He will do it, but He will do it.

What burden are you lugging around that’s negatively affecting your spiritual state? What keeps you from humbly handing it over to God?

Pray this – Our Precious Heavenly Father, I will put all my worries, cares and anxiety on You, because You love me and have good plans for me. Show me how to live a life of confidence and complacency in You. I know the plans You have for me are for good and not evil, to give me a future and a hope, because this is what You have declared for me. (Jeremiah 29:11). Jesus commands that I live a worry free life and He told us how to do it when He said, “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:31-33). Father, I will not be anxious, I will not worry, and I will not fret about my problems, instead I will seek Your Kingdom and Your Righteousness first. I know that when I do that, everything else in my life which is second compared to Your Kingdom and Your Righteousness will be taken care of, and that is why I can live a life that is free of worry and anxiety. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.