June 28 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

Peter's first epistle is addressed to "strangers in the world," who have their homeland in heaven. They are not surprised that they suffer when they do what is right. They follow the footprints of Jesus.

Bible Reading:

1 Peter 5:6–7

Bible Text:

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1 Pet. 5:7).

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you (Ps. 55:22).

Devotional:

God's people often travel on rough roads. Our pilgrimage is not romantic, and it can be very difficult. Resistance within and opposition without plague our faith and test our endurance. Sometimes we can hardly lift our burden—especially if we also have to cope with physical or emotional weakness.

But God is near us. His eye is on us. We are not alone. God cares and God can help. Even under the Old Covenant God's people knew that they should "cast their cares on the LORD" because he would sustain them.

When anxieties, tough circumstances, or nagging doubts get us down, we should not try to carry our baggage alone. We must do as we are told: "Cast it on the Lord."

Make it a conscious, deliberate act of prayer and obedience: "I cannot carry it, but I throw it on you, Lord, because you invited me to do so." Do it as if you were flinging away a physical burden. Then leave it with the Lord, because he cares for you. In fact, unloading your burdens onto God may teach you how very much he cares.

Sometimes married couples make similar discoveries. It is often during a time of great agony that one partner learns how much the other really cares. "I never knew you cared so much."

When our burden seems too heavy and we cast it on the Lord, we discover how much our Father cares. We are relieved because we lost a burden and we gained a deeper insight into his love.

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Be sure to read the "Preface" and the "Acknowledgments" by the author.