​October 26

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you — 1 Pet. 5:7.
 
This is a very consoling and encouraging suggestion from the Word. However, the Lord's people are to learn more and more distinctly, as their years of membership in God's family and tutelage in the school of Christ go on, that they are not to ask the Lord to guide their efforts according to their wisdom; that they are not to request that their wills shall be done either on earth or in heaven, but rather, telling the Lord their burdens, great and small, they are to realize and appropriate to themselves His sympathy and love, and to apply to their own hearts as a balm the consoling assurances of His Word, that He is both able and willing to make all their experiences profitable to them, if they abide in Him with confidence and trust—Z '04, 237 (R 3409).
 
Our cares are the things that try us, such as losses, disappointments, delays, restraints, shelvings, responsibilities, faults, lacks and weaknesses of ourselves and others, failures, differences, hardships, divisions, siftings, necessities, oppositions, sickness, weariness, pain, sorrow, treasons, oppressions, persecutions, etc. Their natural tendency is to absorb the attention of our hearts, and minds, causing worry. While we are to be commendably diligent in our affairs, acting as though everything depended on us, let us heartily believe that all depends on God! Ours it is to exercise diligence; His to exercise care. He is faithful in performing His engagements, and as our Helper and Caretaker He arranges all things in our interests. Therefore we may well entrust our interests to Him—P '33, 148.
 
Parallel passages: Psa. 37:5; 127:2; Matt. 6:25-34; 11:28-30; 13:22; Luke 21:34; Rom. 8:28; Phil. 4:6, 7, 19; Prov. 16:3; Jer. 17:7, 8; Heb. 13:5.

Hymns: 328, 67, 228, 293, 305, 330, 294.
Poems of Dawn, 74: Oh, Who Shall Roll the Stone Away?
Tower Reading: Z '14, 230 (R 5508).

Questions: What have I done with care this week? How? Why? With what results?

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OH, WHO SHALL ROLL THE STONE AWAY?

A NAMELESS chill pervaded all the air,
On that gray morn, long centuries ago,
As through the city's narrow streets there crept
Two women on their way to Calvary.
The fragrant odors of sweet spices told
Of their sad errand to the tomb of Him
They loved. And as they neared the garden where
Their blessed Lord was laid, a sudden fear
Took hold upon their eager, loving hearts— 

(The sepulchre was hewn from solid rock,
A great stone had been rolled before the door,
And sealed with Pilate's royal signature)— 
They felt their weakness, and in anguish cried,
"Oh, who shall roll for us the stone away?"
But faith grew bold, they urged their faltering steps— ​
When lo! they found an Angel from the Lord
Had rolled away the stone, and sat thereon!

Thus often, when with loving zeal we seek
To serve the Lord, a great fear chills our hearts,
The door of opportunity seems closed,
And in our weakness and distress we cry,
"Oh, who shall roll for us the stone away?"
but when with faith and courage we press on,
We find the Angel of the Lord hath gone
Before, and lo! the stone is rolled away!

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