Cares
Now Playing: How do we handle cares in our life ?
Topic: Weary
The end of the year is as good a time as any to assess the cares and concerns in our lives. Paul could say regarding single and married people, "But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife". (1 Corinthians 7:32-33) Among Christians we are to care for others, "That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another" (1 Corinthians 12:25) In our spiritual walk, the apostle Paul wrote to Philippi "Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God". (Philippians 4:6) To our fellow Christians we are admonished, "This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men" (Titus 3:8)

We fail in this. The apostle Paul also wrote "For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state". (Philippians 2:20) Jesus spoke of those we find who, "that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection". (Luke 8:14) Likewise, "And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful" (Mark 4:19) The Lord Jesus warned of the end times, "And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares". (Luke 21:34). God does judge when His people sin, "For the inhabitant of Maroth waited carefully for good: but evil came down from the LORD unto the gate of Jerusalem" (Micah 1:12) The Lord Jesus warned of those who would harm His people, "The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep". (John 10:13) The Psalmist, King David, could lament, "I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. (Psalm 142:4) The disciples even accused the Lord, "And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master,carest thou not that we perish?" (Mark 4:38)

May we be like the good Samaritan, who "went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee." (Luke 10:34-35) When we have sinned, there is a solution when we repent, "behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter" (2 Corinthians 7:11) We have a biblical pattern, "For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit". (Jeremiah 17:8)

May our spiritual desires to please the Lord grow, "But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity" (Philippians 4:10) Moses recorded, "The Lord shall greatly bless thee...only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day". (Deuteronomy 15:4,5)

We have a resource, "the LORD thy God careth... the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year". (Deuteronomy 11:12) There is one to Whom we can always turn for help "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you". (1 Peter 5:7) May we take ALL of our cares to the One who can help us to carefully walk with Him!