CAST YOUR CARE UPON THE LORD

I Pet. 5:7 ... "Casting all your anxiety (care) on Him (God), because He cares for you."

      One of the most miserable feelings a person can experience is loneliness; and when it is combined with the perception that no one cares about you, the misery is increased almost beyond endurance. To think that no one cares about you robs life of much of its meaning, joy, and warmth. It deprives you of the motivation to try to accomplish things worthwhile; it obscures goals and plans for the future, and leaves life an empty shell.

      More people than you might think have this sinking feeling that no one cares about them. They get sick, and no one comes to see them. They win some small victory in life, and no one praises them or rejoices with them over it. They experience a time of sorrow, and no one comes to help them bear it. They must face the ups and downs of life all alone, receiving few words of encouragement, advice, or hope.

      Perhaps one reason behind much of this mututal indifference is that we live in an age when hurry and crowds are major factors in social life. To phrase it metaphorically, we have "so many irons in the fire,"  that we find little excess time to show our neighbor we are aware of his existence and are at least slightly concerned about what is happening in his life. And there are so many more people crowded about us than there used to be that we feel, because we cannot divide our available time among all of them, we should not share it with anyone.

      Although people for whatever reason may not show concern and interest in one another, there is One who always does care ... Jesus Christ. He always stands ready to show anyone all of the love, consideration, sympathy, and time that the person needs. Jesus knows your sorrow. grief, and broken heart, and is always ready and willing to share it. How moving is His offer in Mat. 11:28, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest."  Though His Spirit fills the vast and trackless universe, He yet feels the keenest emotions of the most dejected and neglected soul of man. God's personal knowledge of the individual is exhibited in Jesus' statement in Mat. 10:29-31, "Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows."

      It is a very comforting thought to know that God is watching over our lives both day and night, that He maintains a real, warm, and active interest in us, and that He is always ready to help us. In fact, He wants very much to share our lives with us. When we are happy, He wants to share that happiness and enrich it to make us even happier. And when we are sad, He wants to share that sadness to lighten its weight so we won't stagger or collapse beneath it. The Lord's words to his distressed apostle surely apply to every other disciple as well: "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness," (II Cor. 12:9 NIV). It has been said that, "Man's extremity is God's opportunity." When thick clouds of adversity have enshrouded your life, cut you off from other people, and turned your outlook gray, you have reached an extremity. But that is God's opportunity to act in your life with His amazing grace to lift you up in a way that prosperity can never achieve.

      In spite of the fact that Jesus does care, all too often He never is given the opportunity because we neglect or refuse to admit Him into our lives and integrate Him into our daily experiences. If we fail to let Him share our lives with us, He will not be present to comfort, guide, strengthen, and support us. He cares for us, but we must first "cast our care upon Him" in order to be recipients of the help which He is so ready and able to bestow.

AS THE END DRAWS NEAR

I Pet. 4:7 ... "The end of all things is near; therefore be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer."

      In the Bible, time is considered to be linear, that is, it had a definite beginning, it proceeds on a continuous course, and it will eventually come to an end. The Bible's opening statement is, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." And II Pet. 3:10 declares that "the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up." Before the "beginning" and after "the end of all things," (which is the same as "the day of the Lord"), there stretches out into mind-numbing infinitude what the Bible calls "eternity." Time is really only a "little blip" in eternity.

      But where on the continuum of time is the position of earth existence now? First Peter 4:7 says we are rather near "the end" of it. Does this mean the curtain shall be drawn to terminate time within a decade, a century, or perhaps two or three centuries? Will the world terminate before the century is over? Or will it endure a  few more generations to 2200? No one knows the answers to such questions, (Mat. 24:36), but misguided folk persist in setting end dates. We are informed in II Pet. 3:8 that "with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day." By God's measure of time it has been only a couple of days since Jesus was crucified, so a full week on this scale would extend to 7000 AD, and one of our typical lifespans amounts to only one hour and 41 minutes. The point is that the warning, "the end of all things is near," has lost no meaning at all in the approximate 2000 years since it was written. And it will still be entirely meaningful in the year 7000 AD.

      Our reponse to such meditation should be sobering, or as II Pet. 3:11 advises, "Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness." Realizing that God's wrath upon the impenitent, as well as His mercy on the penitent, shall be revealed, we should seriously prepare to make ourselves the recipients of His mercy on that day by devoting ourselves every days we live to "holy conduct and godliness." At the same time we must be praying with sober minds and sound judgment. In anticipation of the Lord's coming, which Christians ought not to fear, we should rather be "looking for and hastening" its arrival, (II Pet. 3:12). We are not pray with apprehension for the Lord to delay His coming, but much rather we must pray with joy that He will acutally hasten His return!

      How much do we yearn for Christ's return to call us up into the glory of heaven? Mothers of young children often have this experience. When supper is about ready, Mom goes out on the porch and calls, "Johnny, come in! Supper's ready." But the reply comes back, "Not yet Mom, I'm having fun!" Some day God will also call us to the Great Supper in heaven which even now is being prepared, (Rev. 19:9). As we contemplate that call, had we rather it be later rather than sooner because here in this present world we are "having fun"? A lady once told me in a Bible class, "I would be perfectly willing for heaven to be right here on earth." It was great that this lady, now long deceased, enjoyed life so much. But the wonder and glory of heaven will surely cause the delights of earth to become miserable, (see I Cor. 2:9 and Php. 1:23-24).

      Are we ready to express eagerness in our prayers for Christ's return? The first Christians were, for according to I Cor. 16:22, they would cry, "Maranatha!" This word in their native Aramaic tongue meant, "Come, our Lord!" We must likewise think continually upon the imminent return of our Lord, and even seek to hasten it by anxious, joyful prayer. And each day we must diligently prepare for it by developing our lives in "holy conduct and godliness." 

RETURN NOT EVIL FOR EVIL

I Pet. 3:9 ... "Not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead."

      If our world were perfect, that is, if all people were Christians and were obedient to both the letter and the spirit of the "perfect law of liberty," (Jas. 1:25), a person would always do and say something good to another. Conversely, anyone would always find himself being treated kindly, courteously, gently,  honorably, and unselfishly by others. But, unfortunately and realistically, the world about us is not perfect. It is so common to meet people who are unkind, rough, and impolite, who behave with ill temper in their interactions with those about them. It has come to the place where it is a surprise for someone in public to sacrifice a moment of their time or an ounce of their energy to act benevolently toward you.

      Sin has penetrated so deeply and powerfully into human affairs that it has enslaved the majority of people, (Rom. 6:16-21). On every side we experience those who are "filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful," (Rom. 1:29-31). As these terms indicate, which describe the nature of the sin that dwells within and tyrannizes so many, people often do terrible things to other people. In some cases this involves inhumane treatment to recompense its likeness, for the rule, "Do unto others AS they do unto you," prevails among men. Although this is condemned by the Christian standard, (Rom. 12:18-21), it is accepted and even expected by the typical person. It is disturbing, however, that in recent years there seems to be a growing trend for people to commit terrible acts upon those who have done them no harm at all, or who have even shown them kindness.

      Such atrocious acts are so wicked and brutal that they are considered to be crimes against society at large as well as against the individual victims. So we respond with relief and approval when the State assumes the necessary role of "an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil," (Rom. 13:4). Most of the time, however, the offense is not of direct interest to the State but only to the affected individual, who nevertheless is hurt, humiliated, or hindered very much. What course of action is then left for him to follow to redress his injury?

      If the victim is not a Christian, he will probably seek to "even the score" by giving as much as he got, "eye for eye, tooth for tooth,  hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise," (Exo. 21:24-25). Although this might bring immediate relief and satisfaction, it frequently only sets the stage for a counterattack and leads to a feud or even a vendetta. The only remedy other than totally obliterating offenders is to defuse the bomb of bitterness and wounded pride in such a way that the counterattack is not provoked to promote further contention.

      This is the course taught in our text as well as in many places in the New Testament, because it is the way that Jesus used and set as a model for us. When kindness is returned for bitterness, gentleness for harshness, courtesy for rudeness, fairness for injustice, consideration for disrespect, generosity for selfishness, and honor for contempt, the perpetrator of the offense is left in an awkward position. Unless he is a recalcitrant sinner, he will likely be taken aback, perhaps to renew his own behavior with a degree of shame, and hopefully be motivated toward some expression of repentance that might eventually evolve into friendship. Enemies are not converted into friends by inimical responses to their behavior, but rather by expressions of love as noted above. How has God responded to us in our hostility ? (see Rom. 5:10). Should we follow a different course?