It was a beautiful morning for a walk. Dew clung to the wildflowers lining the rock path, and pine trees towered into the mist. A fog hung over the lake, keeping me from seeing to the other side. But instead of feeling invigorated by the cool morning before the heat of the July day, my feet felt like lead. My whole body was weighed down like a backpack filled with rocks. I couldn’t see through the fog.
As I walked, I unpacked the rocks I had collected and carried over the past week—worries about a child’s struggles in a friendship, financial concerns, a new business, and my health. One by one, I brought them to the Lord.
“Lord, I have been carrying this burden, and it is weighing me down. Yet I know that I can’t control it. I can’t bring the outcome for which I hope. Help me remember, Jesus, that You are with me. I give You this concern.”
Peter implores us to cast all our anxiety on the Lord because He cares. But why is that sometimes so difficult? The verse preceding it may hold the key. Peter tells us to humble ourselves.
As much as I hated to admit it, my anxiety revealed pride. Believing I could and should be able to fix the problems I saw. Was I depending on the Lord and recognizing that His sovereignty and wisdom far surpassed mine?
No great epiphany came that revealed a clear path out of any of the situations I faced. The way was still as hidden as the path before me lay shrouded in the fog. But I felt lighter. I had released my cares to the Lord, who cares for me and knows best.
What cares have you been shouldering? Give them to the Lord, even when you cannot see the path ahead.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay and Peggychoucair.)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
Debbie Cox is a writer.