“casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].” I Peter 5:7 AMP
Welcome to the 38th weekly devotional recap of the year. This week, we learned the recipe for soul maintenance, how to respond to persecution, let go of fear, trust God, and ultimately, that we are not alone.
We started the week with an admonition to say goodbye to fear and anxiety. While anxiety is a common way to deal with life’s overwhelming challenges, it is not a wise one. As believers, we can deal with anxiety by meditating on the Scriptures, praying and rejoicing (Psalm 119: 11, Philippians 4: 6-7). It is important to do all these because they stir up faith, and faith knocks anxiety down.
Tuesday’s article encouraged us to remember that regardless of how we feel, we are not alone. Dealing with pain can be overwhelming, but Jesus, who knows what it’s like to be hurt, wants to comfort you. When you feel down, you should talk to God or lean on your siblings in Christ for strength (1 Peter 5: 7, Romans 12: 15). Doing these will not leave room for the devil in your mind.
Wednesday’s article reminded us to trust God. Our response to challenges shouldn’t be the same as the natural man because God is in our future already. He anticipates our needs and will see to them (Matthew 6:8). God is a rock and He can be trusted. Situations around you will change, but if your joy is rooted in the unchanging God, then it won’t shake (Psalm 16:11).
Thursday’s devotional taught us about Soul maintenance. In today’s world, depression is a common feeling that is caused by a myriad of reasons; and social media doesn’t help. This feeling of depression is valid. However, as believers, we should regulate our emotions to align with God’s word like David did in Psalm 103: 1. To deal with depression, you must understand true contentment, battle it with prayer, and confess your realities in Christ.
We wrapped up the week on Friday with a teaching on the believer’s response to persecution. It’s normal for Jesus’ followers to face persecution as seen from the lives and gruesome deaths of the early prophets and saints. Jesus informed us of this because He wanted to prepare us (John 15: 20, 2 Timothy 3: 12).
Our response to persecution should be to rejoice because it is a privilege to suffer for Christ’s sake (Matthew 5: 11-12) and to pray for our persecutors (Matthew 5: 43- 45).
Dear believer, the world will throw challenges your way, which may cause you to be depressed or anxious, but give your worries to God, who cares for you and understands what you go through.
Have a great weekend!
Bible Reading Plan: Isaiah 5-8