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“"How Deeply He Cares For Us"”

Thoughts for Today:

This morning when I first woke up, my thoughts immediately turned to my family. My concern for a health issue of my wife's; the move to a new apartment my daughter Rebecca is considering; my grandchildren; my son Ryan; my mother; and the list went on and on. I feel the pressure of my family's challenges even though none of these are my own. Why? Because I am a husband, a dad, and I am concerned for the well being of those I care about.

In our passage today, Paul says, "All the things that happen to me physically (the stoning, beatings, and shipwrecks) are nothing when compared to the concern I have for the churches." As a father, I can completely relate. Paul had the heart of a father toward the churches. He wasn't a spiritual guru or motivational speaker, and as a result he felt pressure for their well being.

So what should we do when we feel the weight and burden of those we care deeply about? Peter gives us the answer in 1 Peter 5:7: "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." But have you ever noticed that when we cast our anxieties on the Lord, sometimes they go away for a day, two, or maybe even a week, and then they're right back with us? That's the way of the Lord. Why? Because He wants to do something bigger in us than merely taking our burdens from us.

The Lord desires a close and intimate relationship. And He knows the anxieties and struggles we encounter will cause us to seek Him continually in prayer -- which is infinitely more important than finding a solution to whatever problem we were initially praying about. So even though our concerns for family and friends might interrupt our sleep and plague our thoughts, we must keep casting our concerns upon Him because we know how deeply He cares for us.

Questions to Ponder:

What are you concerned about? Is it a repeated anxiety that returns from time to time? Have you drawn closer to the Lord as a result? Will you? Go to Him now. He is the great Comforter. In Him alone we find rest.

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About the author

Pocket Devotions are written by Mike Brooks. A retired businessman, he is Moderator of South Shores church, leads the Deacon Board, serves on the finance committee, and he teaches a Men's Bible study and the Men's Ministry. Mike has a passion for evangelical missions. He is the husband of Sherry; the father of Ryan, Natalie, Krissy, Rebecca, and Amanda; the father-in-law of Ariel; and the grandfather of Conner and Christian.