I Peter 5:7

Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. I Peter 5:7 Amplified Version

Most all of us are familiar with this verse, many probably have it committed to memory. My pastor mentioned this verse tonight and in his words "It's like a comfortable pillow, a soft place to lay your head." Wow, I so agree. Even as I look at it now I feel warm inside, loved, comforted, safe and secure. Let's take it a phrase at a time.

Casting the whole of your care....

The word "whole" means all, in its entirety. Do you worry about a work situation? Give that "whole" situation to the Lord. Are you heartbroken over a wayward child? Give that "whole" child to the Lord. Financially are you struggling and there seems to be no relief in sight? Give your "whole" finances to the Lord. And not only should you give the "whole" situation to God but look at the next phrase

Once and for all......

Give it today and do not pick it back up. Do we as humans even know how to do that? Do we have the strength and will to do that? Maybe not, but the Holy Spirit does. So surrender to Him and acknowledge your need of his power in your life and leave it with the Lord. And even then it may be a surrender that is day by day, maybe even minute by minute. But the truth of this verse, the power that is so embracing is that Jesus cares for you. He cares for me. The God of the Universe knows your name and every little thing about you. He is your creator and He cares when you are hurting. He notices. Let's look at the last phrase of the amplified.

He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully....

There is such tenderness in the way God loves us. I used to love to sit in my momma's lap when I was little. I loved the way she would pull my hair back away from my face and scratch my back and all the other sweet things she did so "affectionately". Even as a grown woman I can remember sitting in the floor in front of her chair and laying my head in her lap and finding such comfort in her sweet touch, as she rubbed my hair back away from my face and even wiped my tears at times. It was a safe place for me with someone I knew loved me and watchfully cared for me. Multiply that times infinity and you haven't even begun to measure God's love for us. It is impossible to even wrap our minds around it.

I know 2012 is well under way but I needed to be reminded that God not only cares about us but wants us to place our cares on Him. He doesn't want us to be burdened, worried, sad or defeated. He wants us to cast it ALL...the WHOLE thing on Him. On days when you feel no one cares, stop! Tell the enemy to go home and begin to quote this verse and remind yourself that God does indeed care.