1 Peter 5:5b-7 NKJV
“...God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
Did you know that on every dollar bill is the phrase Annuit Coeptis? You will also find on every dollar bill an unfinished pyramid with a watchful eye and the words Novus Ordo Selclorum. Shortly after the Declaration of Independence was signed, Congress appointed a committee to formulate an official seal of the United States. The seal was to reflect the heart of the nation and the principles upon which she was built. This seal was approved by Congress in 1782 and has remained the official seal of the United States of America. Here’s what each of the following means:
- Annuit Coeptis – God has blessed our undertakings.
- Novus Ordo Selclorum – a new order of the ages (this has since been wrongfully translated as "new world order").
- Unfinished pyramid – strength and duration.
- Eye surrounded with glory proper – eye of Divine Providence that watches over America and is in favor of the American cause.
These symbols reflect the heart of our founders’ deep faith in God who understood that a very Divine Providence was watching over America. They serve as continual reminders that we cannot rely on our own strength as a nation. Through everything our founders faced to establish the United States as a new country, they knew their undertakings were just beginning. They fought with God’s strength to secure a new order of freedom for future generations. With their eyes on the American cause, they were careful to set up reminders to help future generations comprehend and experience personally the Divine Providence guiding America.
The scripture above tells us that as we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, He will exalt us. To humble ourselves doesn’t mean to deny ourselves or wallow around in hopeless puddles of tears. It simply means to acknowledge how great God is just like our founders did with the official seal. As we do, the scripture promises us He will exalt us. He will promote us. He will protect us. He will go before us. What tremendous confidence this gives us. We find peace and security in this because the second part of that scripture says that we can cast our cares upon Him because he cares for us. Think of the care our founders had to cast on the Lord. And think of the miraculous victories God brought to them. This promises is for us today too! God loves you and wants to carry your cares.
Are you facing a trial or a hard place today? Are you tired of carrying the weight of that care by yourself? Then it’s time to humble yourself under God’s mighty hand and cast that care over onto Him. With your hands outstretched, envision Jesus standing in front of you. Now open your hand and say, “Lord, I’m casting this care over on to you because you care for me.” Now trust Him and absolutely refuse to pick that care back up again. When the thought of that care comes to mind, just begin thanking the Lord out loud for taking that care. Don’t pick it back up. Why carry it when He wants to carry it for you? What a wonderful God we serve.
I challenge you to accept God’s love and care over you. Look into those areas of your life that you've been holding onto and go ahead, give it all to God.
Action steps
- Read - Re-read 1 Peter 5:5b-7.
- Think - Is there an area of your life that you may have been trying to “fix” on your own? How would your perspective change if you put your confidence in God by “casting all your care on Him”?
- Write - Write about a challenge you’ve currently been facing and then write down on paper your decision to “give it all to Him.”
- Pray - When we pray and give God our challenge, it might sound something like this: “I release myself from any worry or anxiety that this challenge may have been causing. I know You are my provider and that Your wisdom is available to me. So, I ask for Your wisdom and Your help for this situation.”
- Take away - God's already provided the Answer to all our needs. It's there for the taking. Keep reading the Word of God. Those answers will come. Refuse to pick up those problems again on your own by resisting the urge to worry or meditate on the problem. Meditate on Him instead.
“The great, vital, and conservative element in our system is the belief of our people in the pure doctrines and divine truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”