PASTOR’S CORNER

Hello dear friends, I pray to find you blessed in the Lord.

Have you ever had times in your life where your soul weighed heavy? Heavy from the pressures and demands of life, heavy from over work, heavy from financial circumstances, heavy from health problems, heavy from relationship issues… Heavy from overthinking? Has Anybody ever been there?

Truth is we all have these moments where the demands of life weigh so heavily on us. Sometimes we don’t even have anything to worry or stress about and somehow fear, doubts, and anxieties still seem to find their way in our minds.

Well just the other day, I don’t know if my coffee wasn’t strong enough, or if I just had too much time to think! But out of nowhere I randomly felt as if I was carrying the weight of the world on my own shoulders, and I just couldn’t take it. I was thinking about all my responsibilities as a husband, a dad, a Pastor, and even though I have so many people that care for me in my life, I felt all alone at that moment.

It was in that moment that I heard a gentle whisper in my ear - “ Child, cast all your cares on Me because I care for you“ those words sounded familiar! I know I read those words somewhere before and I knew it was the Lord!

It was in - ( 1st Peter 5:7) Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Friends, we aren’t designed to carry the burden of worry, fear, and anxiety ... it’s too heavy. It’s too much for the human body to tolerate. We may be able to manage it for a little bit, but eventually the physical body and mind will begin to break under the pressure of these negative influences for too long. In fact, scientific studies prove that carrying these kinds of burdens for too long can even cause physical health issues.

What we need is something or someone stronger than ourselves to carry the weight. Someone who is able, someone that is capable, someone who does not grow weary. Friends, Father God is that someone. He is a Good Father that cares, that protects, that provides, that sustains.

Here in the Psalms it mentions something very similar- (Psalm 55:22) Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.

Dear Friends, Father God has not, and will not abandon us in our distress. Your problem, whether the struggle be in your mind like it was mine, on your body, or in your Spirit, It is not too big, nor too heavy for the Lord to carry. His shoulders are broad enough, His back is Strong enough, He is Almighty, He is all knowing, and He is all Powerful! He is El Shaddai, that is - The God Who is enough! And guess what, He is also the One who delights in bearing our burden daily. HALLELUJAH! (Psalm 68:19) says, Blessed be the Lord, Who daily bears our burden, The God who is our salvation. Selah.

What are the kinds of anxieties, worries or problems that we can cast on the Lord? Are they limited? Peter says that we can cast “ all” of our cares on the Lord, not just the extra that we can’t carry, and not just part of it, but ALLL!

And Peter explains why He wants us to cast our cares, our worries, our anxieties, our hardships, our trials, our heaviness on Him. It’s simple but very powerful, it’s because He cares for us! That is what scripture says -

casting all your care upon Him,

for He cares for you. Amen.

Dear friends, there are many benefits that come from us casting our cares on the Lord but one of the most obvious is His Peace that surpasses all understanding. My question to you is- Will you cast your cares on God today and will you receive His peace in exchange?

Let us pray- Father, forgive us for the times that we have tried to carry the burdens of life ourselves, forgive us for being prideful at times. As we learn to cast our cares on you, humble us and help us to depend on you alone. Sustain us with Your Strength, with Your Peace, and with Your Power in Jesus Holy Name. Amen & Amen With Love, Your brother in Christ, Pastor Billy Montes