Sunny Thoughts From Sunset – November 3

Our national, state and local elections will be here on November 8. Please pray, and vote.

The Sunset pastor continued our series in “First Peter—Trials, Pilgrimage, Courage and Hope” with a message, “Casting Cares.” The text was from 1 Peter 5:7: “Cast all your cares on him because he cares for you.”

Have you ever been really, really anxious? I looked up “anxiety” in the dictionary. It means “painful or apprehensive uneasiness of mind; an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension or fear.”

Sounds like what the whole country’s going through with this election.

You may have had a problem, or you saw a problem in your family, work, school or even in the direction of our beloved country, and you couldn’t see how it could possibly turn out good. Certain disaster was on the way, and you were in the middle of it. What should you do?

The pastor made two points: (1) God cares; (2) Cast your cares on him.

(1) God cares. V7, “He cares for you.” My God, the one true and living Creator of all, is concerned about His creation.

When the children of Israel were in Egypt, and had come under the rule of a king who did not know the benevolent son of Israel Joseph, and were treated badly by their oppressive rulers, Exodus 2 records: “The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help went up to God.

It continues: “God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham…so God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them,” and sent Moses to deliver them.

God is concerned about you and your situation today.

King David wrote in Psalm 8:3: “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels, and crowned him with glory and honor.”

God cares for you. You are the crowning work of his creation, and in our fallen world of sin, sickness and sorrows, there is nothing too small or too insignificant for God to take note, and come to your aid.

Jesus told the story of the birds of the air (Matthew 6): “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? …But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

God takes note of the birds, and feeds them. He will much more take care of you.

(2) Cast Your Cares on Him. What should we do about anxiety, trials, troubles, concerns and worries? Peter said: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

So simple, but how faithful are we to do it?

The song says, “O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry, Everything to God in prayer.”

You may have a health or family problem. Pray about it. Give it to the Lord. What does that mean? Trust in Him completely that He will do the best thing for his children, because he cares for you.

Philippians 4:6ff: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

So many Christians are concerned about our country: increasing violence, wickedness and antichrist activity.

What to do? Pray. Fasting is good too. Do God’s will. He sees, and He will take care of you.

“The righteous will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, ‘The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.’” [Psalm 92:14]

May the Lord be your Rock, keeping you fruitful, even in old age—our prayer for you from your friends at Sunset Christian Church.

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