Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
I Peter 5:6&7 (ESV)
I loved it the moment I saw it—a glass paper weight I purchased for my writing desk that says, “Courage, dear heart” attributed to C. S. Lewis.
Upon a little research, I discovered this is a quote from the book, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Chronicles of Narnia, #3). Here is the actual reference: “But no one except Lucy knew that as it circled the mast it had whispered to her, “Courage, dear heart,” and the voice, she felt sure, was Aslan’s, and with the voice a delicious smell breathed in her face.
”Lucy was comforted because she was sure the message came from a trusted source and it contained that lofty, lifting word courage. Courage—so necessary to face a chaotic world that often feels dark and devoid of hope. Courage—so necessary to rise above disorientation and restlessness and continual wrestling with fear. Courage—so necessary to face hardship and losses—the things that are the reality of living in a fallen world.
And then—dear heart—a sweet phrase of endearing love and affection. It feels good to pull that phrase close—grab it and pull it down into my troubled heart and weary soul. What can I do to place myself securely in God’s favor? What can save me from the self-sufficiency that would destroy me and rob me of future glory?
In I Peter I am told to humble myself—meaning I am to permit God to humble me. I am exhorted to accept my total dependence on God—willingly without resentment or rebellion. I am reminded that I am safe in putting myself under the mighty hand of God, because He is abundantly able to exalt me at the “proper time.” Humility is not a loss, but a gain. It is the path to “casting” all my care, concern, and anxiety upon the Lord.
So, courage, dear heart. God is present in the midst of the daily ache of life. He cares about the lonely, the weary, the restless and afraid. When we stay humble—we stay safe under His mighty hand!