Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7

According to an ancient tale, a man was driving his cart to the city when an old woman asked him for a ride. As they traveled, they chatted. The man asked the old lady, "Who are you?"

She replied, "I am cholera."

You don't need to know all the symptoms of cholera; let me just say it's a terrible disease you don't want to get. The man ordered her off his cart. The lady objected and promised that if he allowed her to ride with him, she would kill no more than five people in the city.

To show him that she was serious in her promise, she gave him a dagger, the only weapon that could kill her.

They reached the city. In the next two days more than 120 died. Outraged, the man went looking for the disease disguised as an old lady. When he found her, he raised the dagger to kill her. At the last second the old lady called out, "Wait! I have kept my word. I have killed only five people in the city. All of the others died of fear, worry and hopelessness."

Fear, worry and hopelessness.

In this sinful world those are the things that rob us of God's powerful peace. From birth until death, fear is with us. It changes its face; it comes in different situations and circumstances, but it is always there: an unwanted, uninvited, unwelcomed, undesirable companion.

Do you doubt me?

Then let me ask how many times have you heard someone say, "My life is so solid, so successful, so perfectly complete. I just wish I had something to worry about. I sure would like to worry about bills. I sure wish I had a few more aches and pains to make my day more interesting"? Nobody asks the Internal Revenue Service to audit them. Nobody prays for a flat tire, or for someone to steal their credit cards. Nobody ever says anything like that.

We don't say it; we can't say it because we all have worries aplenty.

And this is where the Savior shows that He truly is the Master. In truth Jesus -- who has conquered death and grave, who has resisted Satan's temptations, and declined the finest offerings of this world -- is also able to deal with our worries.

Scan through the New Testament and you will see Him dealing with the worries of some lepers, of a mourning widow and grieving father. He sends demons back to where they belong and calms the rumbling stomachs of thousands with a few loaves of bread and fish. He brings peace to those who are worried by a guilty conscience and hope to those who are ostracized by society.

In short, Jesus deals with worries. And that means your worries. This is why Holy Scripture encourages us to cast all our cares upon Him, "because He cares for you."

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, the world loves to muddy the waters of our lives. Grant that I may recognize that because of Jesus I am not alone. Let me turn my burdens over to You so they might be taken care of according to Your will and way. In Jesus' Name I ask it. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: 2 Samuel 23-24    John 6:41-71

To Download Devotion MP3 to your computer, right click here and select "Save Link As" or "Save Target As" or "Download Linked File As"