Feb 16 2022

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

This verse, written by Paul to the church in Corinth, reminds us that how we understand things about God is not through our own eyes or ears, but through His spirit. Today, we'll break down this verse to understand it better and then apply it to our lives.

Paul quotes from the Old Testament book of Isaiah to show that understanding of the Gospel comes from the spirit. We cannot understand the "things which God hath prepared" for us unless the Holy Spirit reveals them to us. In other words, to have an appetite for the Lord to want to know Him, read the Bible, and grow in holiness is evidence that the Holy Spirit has worked in us. We do not naturally desire things of God, but the Holy Spirit causes us to desire Him.

This means we should always be humble about our relationship with the Lord. Salvation happens because the Holy Spirit decided to work in our hearts. It wasn't because we were good enough or something we did that made the Lord want us on His team. It was because He, in His mercy, reached out to us. After our salvation, we can respond to His goodness in ways that help us grow deeper in our relationships with Him, but in the end, all spiritual growth is an act of grace. When we understand that we know Jesus only because of grace, we will be humble in our walks with Him.

This verse also gives us freedom because it tells us that we are not responsible for other people's salvation. We weren't even responsible for our own; of course we can't be the reason someone else is saved. If you are trying to convince someone about the truth of the Gospel, relieve yourself of that burden. Share the Gospel and show the person the love of Jesus, but do not take the responsibility of his or her salvation upon your shoulders. It is too great a burden for any of us.

Instead, put yourself to prayer. Pray that the Spirit would begin to work in the other person's heart, moving them to see God in new ways and putting a hunger in their hearts for Him. People may have rebuttals to arguments... but they have no defense to our prayers.

Dear Lord, I thank you so much for my salvation. I am so grateful that for some reason you decided to take me into your family. I am not deserving. I give you all the credit for my spiritual growth, and I ask that you would continue to work in me. I pray for the unsaved people in my life, and I ask that your spirit would begin to stir in their hearts a hunger for you and for truth. In Jesus' name, amen.

Feb 15 2022

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. :

Peter wrote his first letter in the New Testament to a church that was undergoing persecution and suffering. In this verse, he told them to cast their cares (meaning anxieties) on God. And they had many cares: uncertainties about their future, the continual threat of persecution, and the inevitable suffering they would face. Because God cared for them, Peter said, they should cast their cares on Him.

This applies to Christians today just as it did in Peter's time because God loves us. We should hand our problems over to Him. We were not meant to dwell in worry and fear. Both of these emotions, when sustained over a period of time, are a form of pride because they suggest that we must be responsible for ourselves. When we worry or are afraid, we're putting the burden of our lives on ourselves, assuming that we alone are responsible for what happens to us.

Peter's words give us a radically different picture of what to do with these emotions. We are to cast them on God. The word cast means "to throw." We are to throw these emotions on God. This is a very strong visual! He wants us to give every fear and uncertainty to Him, throwing out our doubts and exchanging them for faith in the Lord.

It can be difficult to cast our cares to Jesus because when we cast them out, we're also surrendering ourselves to God's will. We're saying that we can trust Him, no matter what. Peter knew this, which is why he followed up with the second half of the verse: He cares for us. We are able to eschew fear and anxiety because we know the Lord cares for us.

Do you ever struggle to believe the Lord cares for you? At certain times in my life I have. So, what do we do then? We can look back in our own lives and in the Bible, where we see that God has demonstrated His care for us so many times. The most striking example of His care is found in Jesus, who gave up His life in a brutal death on the cross so we could know Him. If I'm going to cast my cares somewhere, there's no one I'd rather cast them to than a God who loved me enough to sacrifice His own Son for my salvation.

Dear Lord, I am sorry for walking around in doubts, insecurities, or fear. I don't want to be burdened with my own self. Instead, I want to cast my fears on you. I give you every worry, Jesus. I thank you for your care for me. You care more about me than I even care about myself. You love me more than I will ever love myself. In your name, amen.


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