Ascension

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Ascension Sunday 

Luke reminds us that after the forty days of the Resurrection appearances on earth," He was parted from them, and carried up into heaven." 24:51 .  Hebrews 4 :14, " Seeing that we have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession."
Peter tells us to humble ourselves for Christ " is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him." 3: 22 
What struck me this week was 5:7 " Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you."

1. What cares do we have? The word is divided from the whole, or fracturing a person's being into parts (biblehub.com) In other words, worries. Luke 8:14 tells about the seed being sown, and some fell among thorns are they which have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares, and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
" Anxiety tends so to distract and to divide the mind that it prevents wholehearted devotion.  The antidote for it is to turn to God and to find relief in pouring out our anxiety upon Him. " Alan Stibbs The First Epistle General of Peter

2.  We are to "cast our burden upon the LORD, and He shall sustain thee.." Psalm 55:22 Cast is used in Luke 19:25 they cast their garments upon the colt...The tense of the verb seems to be a decisive action where we cease to carry our burdens and cast them on the LORD.
Hebrews 4 which we began with says at the end we can come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy , and find grace to help in time of need

3.  With Him there is care about you. original trans.
I am reminded of Hebrews 7:25 as the author spoke of the unchangeable priesthood of Christ Jesus.  v. 24 " But this man , because he continueth ever hath an unchangeable priesthood.Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them."
I often don't know where I am going and what I am doing, but God does direct our paths.  Proverbs 3:5-6 " Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths."
“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.”
― Abraham Lincoln
God does know our hearts and our natures.  Proverbs 3:7 goes on " Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil."
Does life feel like one of those mazes ?  How to get out of the turns and get back to the entrance/exit?  A chain saw is cheating at this point.  I have often wondered about that bull in the china shop.  He did not do too well.
May we listen with mercy to our own hearts , to others and truly understand so that as Peter said and we discussed last week " but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts : and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." 3:15

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