“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary, the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour.” ~1 Peter 5:6-8
“These are the times that try mens’ souls.” So wrote Thomas Paine, American revolutionary. The Soul of America, and of Americans, has been tried repeatedly over the generations. It is being tried at present. In such a time as this, we ought not to add spiritual anxiety to the list of national and individual fears.
Hear God’s word through Apostle Peter. Yes, we are being humbled under God’s mighty hand. Yes, the devil is on the prowl. And yes, Christ our Good Shepherd cares for you. He bids the weary, heavy-laden and anxious to come to him and find rest for their souls. The Adversary cannot devour the flock of Christ kept under the mighty hand of God.
I invite you into Christ’s rest on Sunday mornings in June at 10:30, live on Zoom. I will be using Philip Cary’s fantastic book, “Good News for Anxious Christians: 10 Practical Things You Don’t Have to Do.” The author was fed up with the evidence among his Eastern University students that “trying to be Christian makes us anxious.” Cary looks at such anxiety-provoking concerns as: hearing God’s voice, letting God take control, finding God’s will for my life, needing to get transformed all the time, experiencing uninterrupted joy, and applying God’s Word to my life.
This class will be interactive and not recorded for viewing after or outside of the hour itself. I encourage your participation. Let’s not let misreadings of Scripture or misunderstandings of “the Christian life” rob us of the
grace and peace we have in Christ Jesus.
Peace, Pastor Tom