No worries

Here’s the way you’re able to humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God:

I Peter 5: [6] Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
[7] Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
[8] Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Paul says to us in Philippians 4: [6] Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
[7] And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

You and I are not to be full of care about anything; we’re not to be full of care about anything. That is, we’re not to worry about anything, says Richard Jordan.

We’re literally not to have worries that we have to cast on the Lord. Now that’s high ground, I understand that. I’m not going to pull rank and draw a line and say you can’t ever have a worry. I’m going to say you shouldn’t ever have a worry.

I’m not going to say you won’t ever have one, knowing my own failings. I’ll ask my wife, “What are you worried about that for?” and she’ll say, “I have to worry about it because you don’t.”

I’ve just, through the years, learned to just, you know, not worry about it. You know, something’s happening and something’s going to go on, and somebody will say, “Are you worried about such and such?” and I’ll say, “It’s not time to worry about it yet.”

A guy says, “I worry early.” Now, worrying early is just an excuse for jumping to conclusions. That’s all that is. You worry about something, then you have to worry about worrying about it and you have to worry about worrying about worrying about it and it changes 4-5 different times in the meantime.

What you need to do is just be prepared to handle it. Under grace you’re equipped to handle it. I mean, even difficult circumstances, instead of being problems, all of a sudden I can get excited and go in and figure out how to do this.

Instead of you worrying about it, just major on being equipped to handle whatever comes.

When it says they’re to cast their cares upon Him, that’s how it is they’re able to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God. They can trust Him to take care of things for them.

Psalm 55 is a Psalm of David that describes the cry of the nation Israel as they languish under the assaults of the Antichrist. In David’s case it’s a type of the Antichrist, but in prophetic view it’s the voice of the enemy.

[1] Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.
[2] Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;
[3] Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.
[4] My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
[5] Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.
[6] And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.

You ever felt like that: “Stop the world, I want to get off.” That’s it; that’s what David’s saying.

[7] Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah.
[8] I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.
[9] Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
[10] Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.
[11] Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.

That’s talking about life in the city. Hey, we live in the city. Does that sound a whole lot different than the place we live? People talk about the decay of the inner city. Sort of sounds like David.

It’s nothing new going on today. The same answers that David knew were answers are the answers today and the same problem David’s facing is the tribulation problem they’re going to face in the ages to come.

[12] For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:
[13] But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.
[14] We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.
[15] Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.
[16] As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.
[17] Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.
[18] He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me.
[19] God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.
[20] He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant.
[21] The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.

Doctrinally this is the Antichrist breaking the covenant with Israel and then seeking to destroy them, and in the midst of that hour of treachery, the remnant says, “Cast thy burden upon the Lord and He shall sustain thee.”

[22] Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
[23] But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.

That’s not a general statement, because many bloody and deceitful men live out all their days. That’s a statement prophetically about that tribulation period; exactly what he’s telling them in I Peter.

The commandment of Paul is “be careful for nothing.” That’s not a suggestion; it’s a commandment.

“Perfect peace have they that love thy law.” That’s all the verse says. It doesn’t say, “Perfect peace have they that love thy law and aren’t going through a mid-life crisis or don’t have bills they can’t pay.”

You’re never in a situation where you don’t know what to do. Even when you don’t know what to do you know what to do, because when you don’t know what to do, you go find out what to do, because you’re always capable of handling any situation.

When you get that mental attitude, that kind of mental-attitude dynamics working in your thinking process, then you don’t have any cares.

You don’t have anything to be anxious and worried about. You look at even the most difficult of problems as welcome challenges to give some excitement and some growth into your life. Rather than being worried about it, you welcome it as a challenge. Now you might get weary in it, but weariness and worry are two different things.