He Careth For You

"Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you." —I Peter 5:7 [KJV]

We are now called to confess Jesus in a day of mildness; the fury and rage of persecution is restrained; bonds and imprisonments do not await us; yet we must not think to be exempt from trials and difficulties of various kinds. The adversary is not dead; nature's lusts and corruptions are alive, and daily fight against us. The love of Jesus is ever accompanied with the world's hatred. Disciples of Jesus are not mere stoics; they feel the exercise of these things more or less. 

Sometimes it may be their lot, like the disciples, to be in the midst of a sea of troubles; tossed with the wave of difficulties, the wind of providence seems contrary to them; and to the eye of nature and sense, Jesus seems asleep to their sorrows; as though He intermits in His kind love to them, and tender care over them. Here is the trial of faith; but this grace never consults nature and appearances; it looks through all, to the everlasting love and almighty power of Jesus, knowing He can save from the uttermost depth of distress, to the uttermost height of comfort. 

So triumphs the church under all her tribulations; "I will look unto the Lord: I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me."—Micah 7:7, 8. Sweet confession of faith under very discouraging views. But while the Lord cares for us, what can harm us? And while we cast our every care on Him, we obey His will, honor His word, and gather from that heavenly plant the blessed fruit of heart-ease. How composed did the three children of faith stand before the wrathful monarch! How easy their minds under the dreadful threatening of a fiery furnace! How calm their reply! "O king, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter!" the Lord careth for us; we cast all our care upon Him. 

Ever judge of Jesus' care for sinners by His love to them. Ever remember while we were enemies, His blood atoned for our sins. Can we believe His love to us, and doubt of His care for us? O how unreasonable is unbelief! But if we had no corruptions to conflict with, no troubles to exercise us, no burdens to bow us down, no cares to beset us, no fears to attend us, great part of God's word would be useless. As we are not to expect total freedom from these things, the exhortations of the word are suited to our state, and direct to a loving Friend, whom we are to believe and honor by obeying His kind invitations: under every distress Jesus saith, "Come unto Me."—Matthew 11:28.

-preacher William Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)