"Humble yourselves [submit yourselves], therefore, under God’s mighty hand [because he opposes the proud], that he may lift you up in due time [Grudem: 'that in the time God deems best, whether in this life or the life to come, he may lift you up and exalt you in the way that seems best to Him']. Cast all your anxieties on him because he cares for you" (1Pt 5:6-7).

As verse 7 came to mind, it was the second part that the Lord was underlining to me. He truly cares for me! He truly cares for you! I hadn't realized that verses 6 and 7 are actually one sentence in the Greek. Therefore true humility is obtained by casting all our cares on God which amounts to complete vulnerability. The Psalmist wrote: "Cast your burdens [cares, concerns, things one is anxious or worried about] on the Lord and he will sustain you [he will count it a privilege so to do]; he will never let the righteous be shaken" (Ps 55:22).

We may be tempted to ask, if we are to put others first and think of them as more important than ourselves, who then will care for us? The resounding answer is that God Himself will! His hand is mighty in opposing the proud, but infinitely more powerful in lifting the humble in order to bless them. "That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead" (Eph. 1:19). How amazing is that!

I had believed the Greek word translated "cast" in this verse was the one used for casting heavily weighted fishing nets, but that doesn't seem to be the case! There are 18 different Greek words translated "cast" in the NT! The one in 1 Peter 1 was used for casting outer garments on the colt on which Jesus rode into Jerusalem. They could include long, flowing robes, tunics or cloaks. The occasion would surely have demanded costly garments. The "casting" was one of honouring Jesus; recognition of his kingship and belief in his being the Messiah. It amounted to worship.

It seems that when we cast our cares on the Lord, he counts it an honour. It is like someone pouring out their hearts in total honesty, humility and vulnerability to a trusted friend. It invokes that friend's gratitude that they would be trusted with such painful details. It becomes a treasured memory for both. The Lord truly cares for us and wants us to so cast each and every care we experience on Him.