1 Peter 5:6-11 is a fairly common passage that I’m sure many of us have read before. If you are familiar with these verses, I encourage you to read back through them again. Please don’t speed read—go slow and hang on the words. Breathe at every comma, pause at every period. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to the truth of God’s word, then listen for His still, small voice.

What stands out to you in this passage?

These verses always make me think about our line of direct communication with God. Have you ever felt like you were imposing on someone else? I sure have. It feels so incredibly awkward and uncomfortable—it makes me want to slink away from the room and never return to it again. Because we know what it’s like to be an imposition, it can be tempting to not tell anyone when we’re struggling—we don’t want to bother them. We don’t want to feel the scourge of imposing on another person.

Yet God—Almighty God, the creator and sustainer of the entire universe—welcomes our cares. Seriously! Just think about this revolutionary truth about the character of God for a moment! We can cast our anxieties upon Him, not because He is a doormat or is paid to hear our problems or has nothing better to do. No! We can come to Him because He cares deeply for us. His compassion is so great that He has extended us an invitation to meet with Him. We can go to Him for some uninterrupted one-on-one time with our amazing God. He invites us into a deep level of intimacy where we can share our thoughts, struggles, hopes, dreams, and fears with Him without shame.

As if that wasn’t enough, God’s attentive compassion is just one aspect of who He is. This passage has much more to say about the character of God. Here’s what stands out to me:

God is powerful, involved in our lives, morally righteous, and at work (v.6)

He is compassionate, attentive, and aware (v.7)

God is eternal, gracious, glorious, and welcoming (v.10)

He is worthy of all honor, glory, and praise (v.11)

This is by no means an exhaustive list; if these verses remind you about other aspects of the character of God, that’s amazing! Take a few moments to thank Him for who He is. Praise His name and enjoy His presence.

For years, I thought 1 Peter 5:6-11 was all about me, but it’s actually all about Him! Even when I am being instructed to humble myself or cast my cares upon Him, it’s still not all about me. Since I know the character of God, I can choose to behold Him. As a response to His unsurpassable greatness, I can (and should) humble myself before Him. Because of His goodness, I can cast my cares upon Him. I can resist the enemy, temptation, and sin, not because I am so holy, but because God is. Endurance can characterize my life because I understand whose I am and where my eternal home is. Let’s praise and thank Him for who He is.

What is God saying to you?

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 5:6-11 ESV