Does Jesus Care? Devotion (5/10-12)

10-12 May 2015 - Does Jesus Care? – Devotion by Dorothy Callies

1 Peter 5:7 “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

On May 7^th, I couldn’t sleep at night so I checked my stack of collections. I found this special devotion that touched my heart, but I’m not sure who the author was. I would like to quote the exact words.

In his book, Lectures to My Students, Charles Haddon Spurgeon devoted a chapter to “The Minister’s Fainting Fits,” warning his students of the dangers of discouragement and depression in the ministry. The chapter begins: “Fits of depression come over the most of us . . . The strong are not always vigorous, the wise not always ready, the brave not always courageous, and the joyous not always happy.”

The observation is perfectly illustrated by Rev. Frank Graeff, the Methodist minister who wrote this hymn. Frank was born in 1860, in northeastern Pennsylvania. When he entered the ministry, one of his greatest assets was his cheerful disposition. While pastoring in the Philadelphia area, he was dubbed the “Sunshine Minister” because of his radiant personality. He had a special way with children, who were drawn to his simple faith and perpetual smile.

But as Spurgeon said, “the joyous are not always happy.” A series of heartbreaks shattered his spirits, and Frank Graeff found himself in the unfamiliar valley of deep depression and despondency. His gloom became as great as the bliss he had previously enjoyed. At length, he collapsed into the Everlasting Arms and found himself singing Joseph Scriven’s old hymn:

        What a friend we have in Jesus, / All our sins and griefs to bear/

               What a privilege to carry, / Everything to God in prayer . . .        

The truth of 1 Peter 5:7 suddenly took hold of him: “. . . casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” Out of that experience, Frank wrote, “Does Jesus Care?” with its series of commonly asked questions, followed by this resounding reply:

            O yes, He cares; I know He cares; / His heart is touched with my grief;

            When the days are weary, the long nights dreary, / I know my Savior cares.

How do we cast our cares on the One who cares for us? The secret is found in the word CAST:

·         Commit your burden to the Lord. Give it over to Him who cares even more than you do, and who has the power to do what you cannot.

·         Ask for His help in prayer. Philippians 4 tells us to be anxious about nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, to let our needs be known to the Lord.

·         Search the Scriptures. God has a promise for every need.

·         Trust Him. For He does care for you.

Dorothy: What does this means to me? A few days ago, I noticed the small depression was starting to creep into my soul. I wasn’t sure what’s up with that until I read this devotion tonight. My dear friends, if you are going through the depression time, I pray that after reading this devotion, may your spirits be lifted up and that creeping depression be gone in the name of Jesus. And singing the song will lift you up into the Presence of God, into the Everlasting Arms of Jesus.