“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.” (vv. 6-7)

That last phrase is familiar to us, and we are reminded of it frequently: “Cast your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.”

It’s a genuine encouragement. I don’t know about all you’re carrying, but I do know that you can’t carry it alone. The God who cares for us is the God who takes our burdens in Christ. That’s tender and good.

Now look at the context:

Where do these cares seem to come from? They come from our insistence on exaltation. We have what we have, but we long for the day when what we have is more. We suffer as we suffer, but we hope for the time when our suffering is relieved. We work and we sweat and we serve, yet we desire His invitation to rest—and to a seat higher up at the table.

These desires aren’t wrong. In fact, much of what we hope for is the very substance of His promises. What gets us—what weighs us down—is the demand for exaltation at improper times, at the time before He graciously determines to give it.

Cast your cares on Him! Trust His timing! Believe He cares for you! And you will learn to wait for that day with freedom, not frustration.

— Tyler