Meaning of 1 Peter 5:7 KJV & NIV

1 Peter 5:7 gives words of encouragement to those who are overwhelmed with the burdens and challenges of this world. Apostle Peter admonishes us to put together our anxieties and worries and present them to God who cares for us.

Immediately you lay those worries before God, they are no more your responsibilities. Allow God to handle them in His ways. He knows the best and will do the best for us. Our personal care is also in the hand of God.

Mathew chapter 7 verse 11 says, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”  

In most cases, when we are attacked by fear, we quickly forget who we are in Christ and we begin to fidget. We need boldness and courage to depend absolutely on God. We should also be mindful of the devil. He is full of wiles and deceits. The devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him at all cost.
God is greater and stronger than our problems. Trust in Him and His words and you shall experience His mighty hand.

Only God can truly give us Peace. Cast all your care on Him. He will handle them all and convert them to everlasting peace.

No more worries, no more anxieties, cheer up; God cares for you

Who wrote 1 Peter 5:7 and when was it written?

The First Epistle of Peter was written by the Apostle Peter. It was written between 60 AD and 65 AD

 

What is the context of 1 Peter 5?

The context of 1 Peter 5 is to comfort believers and to encourage them to overlook their sufferings and persecutions but to put their hope in Christ.

Peter noticed that Christians are passing through challenges and a lot of them are also facing greater persecution for their faith. He then decided to write this letter to a group of Christians scattered throughout the northern areas of Asia Minor, where he may have previously preached the gospel.

Peter is one of the disciples that understood the subject of persecution. He experienced all manners of sufferings and dangers for Christ from being beaten to being threatened and even went to jail for spreading the gospel of Christ.

He knew what is required to run the race of faith to the end. He understood that suffering for Christians is not strange, but expected as they were taught by Jesus.

Mathew 5 verses 10 to 12 says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. ” 

During all these times of danger, Peter held on to his faith. He knew the crown of glory that is laid down waiting for him.

He, therefore, urged the elders to shepherd the flock of Christ being good examples to the flock so they don’t miss their rewards. (I Peter 5:2-4)

The Apostle Peter closes the chapter, encouraging the younger ones to also submit to the elders and to Christ who is the Head of the Church. He informed them that some other brethren are also experiencing sufferings for their faith but assured them of the power through their faith and the grace of Christ that will perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle them.

 

What is the message of 1 Peter 5:7?

The message of 1 Peter 5:7 is an advice to believers to humble themselves and cast their anxieties on God.

We have a loving God who knows everything about us. He created us in His image and knows every hair of our head. (Luke 12:7). His plan for us is a plan of good and not of evil. God cares for us, no matter what is happening, He never leaves nor forsakes His children. He is ever-present in times of need. 

2 Corinthians 1 verse 3 to 4 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”  

God is ever able and willing. He is ever ready to bring us out of those unwanted situations. All we need to do as believers is to focus on Him.

Believers sometimes are faced difficulties and sufferings which induces fear in us that we forget to trust God. Peter instructs us to leave those worries and look unto God. He cares for us. God is fighting for us behind the scene, He is with us in our battles and wherever we go.

The scripture says in Psalms 55 verse 22, “Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” The LORD is good to those whose hope is in Him and to the one who seeks Him.

Don’t worry about the weight of your problems, just believe God. He is ever reliable and ever-dependable. 

“Casting all your care upon Him” meaning

‘Casting all your care upon Him’ talks about laying all our worries and anxieties at the feet of Jesus. The pressures and the burdens of your life are so heavy and difficult for us to bear and it also requires huge effort to move them away from us.

Jesus knew this when He made the clarion call in Mathew 11 verse 28 saying ^“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Casting all our cares on Him means to humble ourselves and rely absolutely on God and in His words. We are to move from trusting in our knowledge and capabilities to resting in God and His provisions. God is willing and able to carry the heaviest burden for us.

We cannot separate God's plan from His care. He has good plans for us. He makes everything good for us at His own time. He knows what He will do and when He will do it.

God is our burden carrier. He doesn’t need our help because He already knows our fears and failures. He is more than sufficient for us and will give us all-round rest in the midst of the worries. Just relax!

“For He cares for you” meaning

“For He cares for you” means God is concerned about your welfare and everything pertaining you.

He has an interest in everything we face. This great interest is rooted in His special love for us which is demonstrated, giving His only begotten son to us as we see in John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” 

He will never leave nor forsake you. He feels your pain. You must continue to remain strong and remember that the Lord is by your side amid pains. He is your true comfort.

When we are hurt God is hurt. He knows it is His responsibility to cater for us and so He makes it clear in Mathew 6 verses 25 to 27,

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? ” 

Verse 32 of the same chapter made us understand that God knows we are in need of all these things and He cannot deny us. Delight in Him, believe Him and obey His commandments and He shall grant you all the desires of your heart.

What is the difference in biblical translations of 1 Peter 5:7 (NKJV, NIV & ESV)?

1 Peter 5:7 NKJV biblical translation says:

“casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

 1 Peter 5:7 NIV biblical translation says:

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you”

1 Peter 5:7 ESV biblical translation says:

“casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you

There is no difference in translations between NIV and ESV.

The difference is between (NIV, ESV) and NKJV.

Anxiety is mentioned in both NIV and ESV while Care is used in NKJV. 

Care as used in NKJV also means concerns which is the same as anxieties.

However, the three translations have the same meaning.

How do I apply 1 Peter 5:7 to my life?

Applying 1 Peter 5:7 to my life is to place my plans before God and focus on Him with confidence that He cares for me.

The challenges of this world are so numerous that we cannot bear them alone. You may undergo several disappointments and failures at some point in life. Things may not always go the way we want, you may be praying for something and it seems the answer is being delayed, you may even have specific anxiety and stand the risk of losing your life, all you need to do is to cast all these burdens on God. Surrender to Him and ask for His Help in prayer. 

Jesus mentioned in Mathew 11 verse 28-30, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

How do you cast your burden on Him? Trust in Him and His word. Believe in Him that He will answer your prayers.  I have good news for you. Relieve yourself today. Cast all your burden to the Burden Lifter. He is more than able to help you.

The scripture says in 1 Samuel 2 verse 9 “He will guard the feet of His saints, But the wicked shall be silent in darkness. For by strength no man shall prevail.”

You cannot handle this life with the energy of the flesh. Acknowledge your weaknesses in humility and hand them over to your Heavenly Father who loves and will always care for you. 

 

What is a 1 Peter 5:7 prayer?

Loving Father, thank you for Your undying and astounding love for me. I know You have seen my troubles, and You care about them. Help me to cast all my worries to You and not to lean on my understanding. You have promised to be my help in times of trouble. Thank You for being such a faithful God. To You alone be all the praise. This I pray in Jesus' name. AMEN

 

Conclusion

This is amazing. God, the creator of heaven and earth cares about us and our needs, worries, and circumstances. It is pride to still hold on to what He has promised to take care of. That is why the preceding verse says, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,” God resist the proud, but He give grace to the humble.

The scripture above is a command for humility, therefore ask God to cloth you with humility. He doesn’t not share His glory with any man. You need absolute dependency on Him to see His mighty hand at work in your life.

Whatever affects the children of God affects God. Whatever afflicts us afflicts Him. If you know that God cares for you, you don’t need to be anxious for anything. Cast your burdens upon the Lord, and He will sustain you. He will bear both you and your burdens and replace your worries with the peace of God that passes human understanding.

Trust in Him and He will do what is best for you and give you eternal rest.