I met a lady today whom I haven’t seen for some time.
She is a Christian, and was feeling quite low because a family member had died and she really missed him.
As we talked the thought ‘cast your cares onto the Lord’ came to my mind and I felt it was important not only for the person I was talking to, but also as a reminder for all of God’s people.
We carry so much worry, hurt, loss, or distress when we try to be strong, that we forget he asked us to cast it all over to him.
We need to grieve for our love ones who have gone before us. It is a necessary pain, because as we go through it, we work out what’s really important in our lives.
Those who put it aside to carry bravely on so as not to burden others, find that they throw themselves into work or a project so hard that sometime later they become ill and don’t know why. I believe it is because they burden themselves with silent unvented grief which turns in on themselves and comes out in some other way.
Jesus grieved with others at the loss of a loved one. He cried with them in their grief in John 11:33-35. It says in verse 33 that he was deeply moved in spirit - He knows how it feels and goes through it with us.
I reminded the person of the footsteps in the sand poem, which tells us that when we feel things so deeply and are so overwhelmed by our feelings that we feel like we are alone, when need him so much, yet because of our pain, he seems so distant, that is when he is carrying us. He takes us through the darkness to the light at the end of the tunnel. The light is there, we just don’t always see it.
Jesus is the light! He is the light of the world. (John 8:12). Look to him when you are feeling low and he will lift you up, and carry you if necessary, to get you into the light once again. He may not do it in a way you expect, but he will never let you down, and only when you look back will you see how he helped you.
This applies to all sorts of situations, not just grief, but grief is a powerful emotion and we always need Jesus’ support to get through it.
Psalm 55:22 (New International Version (NIV)
22 ‘Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you;
he will never let
the righteous be shaken.’
1 Peter 5:7
7 ‘ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.’
This is how I understand my God, Read for yourself, see what you think.