Yes, we’ve all heard it before, when we have a problem, “Give it to God”, right?  But how many of us actually DO it, and then leave it at His feet?  Many of us think God created us to bear burdens, but that just isn’t so.  God doesn’t want us weighed down with the cares of this world.  He wants you to have a care-free life!
   Right now, how many people do you know that are stressed out for one reason or another?  C’mon, you must surely know someone!  Maybe it’s YOU.  Let’s assume it IS you, how would you like to be free of every burden you are loaded down with right now?  I’ll bet you are willing to argue with me about that possibility, that NOBODY in this day and age can have a truly carefree life.  Sorry, but you are going to lose that argument, and the Bible backs me up! 
    Coming from a long line of world-class worriers, my Mom was probably the best of the best worriers.  As a child I noticed grown-ups always had a long face, and I was determined not to let that happen to me.  Life should be enjoyable and exciting, but as the years wore on, “real life” came upon me.  I can’t put a day or year upon it, but life was no fun anymore, and the daily grind of working, paying bills, raising a family and did I say paying bills?  Well, I learned to have a long face and worry, just like my parents did.  Fast forward this through many years of fear and worry, and I was a copy of everyone around me, Mr. Worry-Wart.  Make that Mrs. Worry Wart if you’re a lady.  No matter, stress is an equal opportunity destroyer of joy, so if you’re human, you qualify for your share of worry.
 Now, if you’re like me, you’ve been told to cast your cares upon the Lord.  Never mind what religious people tell us, what does the Word of God say? It is written in 1 Peter 5:6-11;
1Pe 5:6  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
1Pe 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
1Pe 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1Pe 5:9  Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
1Pe 5:10  But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
1Pe 5:11  To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

    First off, if you will humble yourself before God, He will teach you a thing or two.  You can cast all your cares, ALL your cares, upon Him, and in fact, He invites you to do so!  Why such a generous invitation?  Weren’t you paying attention?  BECAUSE HE CARETH FOR YOU!!   That really got my attention.  God cares for you!  In fact, He cares so much, He is willing to bear all your cares and worries upon Himself.  That means you can go free, without a care in the world!   Again you’re probably saying, That would be nice, but that isn’t the real world.  I have bills to pay, a family to take care of, and I need a job, and jobs are hard to find and keep.  Inflation is taking the food off my table.  Fuel prices are sky high.  If one more thing is put on my plate right now I don’t know what I’ll do.
    Hey, I know what you should do: cast your cares upon Him and LEAVE THEM THERE!  Think about it, if you cast your cares upon the Lord, they don’t belong to you anymore, do they?  Your cares are now God’s problem to solve, and believe me, He won’t have any difficulty whatsoever solving them.  Have you ever heard the Lord say, You think you have problems?  A third of the angels are on strike.  I had to lay Jesus off today because heaven is broke.  I wrecked my Chariot and don’t have money to fix it, had to hock the Pearly Gates to pay the loan on the Throne Room.  You think YOU got problems?  I’m telling you, things are TOUGH up here in heaven!  No, and you won’t, either, because God is not in recession.
    But if you’re like most folks, if you don’t see an immediate change in your situation, you’ll take back those cares you cast upon the Lord, and start worrying again how you’re going to solve them.  That’s the world’s way.  You have to remember, you have an adversary, the devil, who goes about planning how to ruin your day, not only your day, but your whole life, and not only yours, but everyone else’s as well.  But notice how Peter said, But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 
    Did you see that?  AFTER that ye have suffered a while?  In other words, when you finally get smart and cast your cares upon Him like He has been inviting you to do all along, He will be able to perfect you, stablish, strengthen, and settle you, but NOT until you give Him all your cares and LEAVE them with Him.  You see, we’re not good at leaving our cares upon the Lord.  Seems we always want to take our burdens back.  Why is that?  Do we think we can do a better job at solving them than the Lord?  That must be it.  Yes, I have to admit, I’ve done it too, so if I’ve done it, most likely you have too.  But thank God I didn’t stay stupid, I finally wised up and realized, if I give something to God, it isn’t mine anymore, and I don’t have any right to claim it or worry about it, or do anything with it.
    Are you going to go all around your neighborhood trying to get everyone to give you their bills?  No?  Why not? Because you don’t need any more troubles, right?  Well, that’s why God wants YOUR burdens, because YOU don’t need them.  He has the answer for your every problem, and He will solve it His way, the right way, if you will only turn it over to Him.  Maybe you have sickness in your body.  No problem, give it to the Lord, He will gladly accept it. In fact, your healing is already bought and paid for, courtesy of Christ Jesus.   Maybe you have strife in your family, no problem, He will take that one too.  How about a home getting ready to be foreclosed, can God handle one THAT BIG?  Yeah, no problem, just give it to Him and let Him work it out.  Need a job?  God knows where the best job you ever had is at.  Is it all really that easy?  Yep, it’s really all that easy.  I know, because I’m living it.  Does that mean I never have problems come my way?  No, but I’ve learned what to do; I slide them over on the Lord’s shoulder.  After all, He’s better equipped than me to handle them.
    Everything in the universe belongs to the Lord, all the cures, all the gold, all the land, the cattle of a thousand hills is His, and all the taters under the hills.  It’s ALL His, and God isn’t stingy with any of it, either. He said I can cast my cares upon Him, and my friend, I do it!  I may not be the sharpest pencil in the box, but I know a good thing when I see it, and not having any cares is a GOOD thing!  You don’t have to sneak up on God with a bag of worries to drop when He isn’t looking and run off.  He is inviting you to come right NOW with all your burdens and drag them through His door and dump them right there on the floor, and walk away free.  So, why don’t you join me today in casting all your cares upon the LORD, and LEAVE them there, and give God thanks and praise.  Oh, you’ll have a smile on your face!  Once again you’ll be able to have that carefree child-like attitude, knowing whatsoever comes your way you can give it to God and He will take care of it.  Then you can focus on your relationship with Him, not the cares of this world.
Go on now, get it done, He is waiting for you!