Front Porch Faith A nightly devotional where faith meets everyday life through Scripture, storytelling, and encouragement. New episodes every evening. Episode Description If you’re the one everyone depends on, you probably know what it’s like to carry more than you were ever meant to. Whether you’re a single parent, caring for aging parents, trying to hold a family together, or simply doing your best to keep all the plates spinning, the weight can become overwhelming. Tonight’s episode is a reminder that God never asked you to carry the weight of the world. He simply asks you to trust the One who already does. Tonight’s Scripture 1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” There is so much comfort packed into one little word: all. God doesn’t ask us to sort through our worries before bringing them to Him. He doesn’t tell us to keep the small ones and only hand Him the impossible ones. He simply says, “Bring Me all of it.” Devotional Being a single mom has taught me a lot over the years. It’s taught me how to stretch a grocery budget farther than I ever thought possible. It’s taught me how to juggle work, school schedules, sports, doctor’s appointments, laundry, dishes, and dinner—sometimes all before the sun goes down. It’s taught me how to be strong when I didn’t feel strong at all. But if I’m honest, it’s also taught me something else. Sometimes I’ve mistaken carrying everything for being faithful. I thought if I just worked harder... Planned better... Stayed stronger... Never asked for help... Then somehow everything would be okay. Maybe you’ve been there too. Maybe your life looks different than mine, but you know what it feels like to carry responsibilities that seem heavier than your own shoulders can bear. One of my favorite examples of this is unloading groceries. Y’all know exactly what I’m talking about. Instead of making two trips, we decide we’re going to carry every single grocery bag into the house at one time. We’ve got plastic bags hanging off every finger. A gallon of milk tucked under one arm. Bread balanced on top so it doesn’t get smashed. Maybe even a case of bottled water dragging behind us. Halfway to the porch, our fingers are turning purple because those little plastic handles are digging into our skin. But do we stop? No. We keep going because making another trip somehow feels like failure. The funny thing is, life works the same way. We pile on one burden after another. Financial worries. Health concerns. Parenting struggles. Loneliness. Old grief. Fear about tomorrow. Stress from work. Heartbreak that still hasn’t healed. And instead of setting any of it down, we convince ourselves we can carry just one more thing. Eventually, we’re exhausted. Not because God gave us too much. But because we’ve picked up things He never asked us to carry. Peter gives us a beautiful invitation in today’s Scripture. He says, “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” To cast something means to throw it. To release it. To let go. It doesn’t mean handing it to God while secretly keeping one hand wrapped around it just in case. It means trusting that the One catching it is far stronger than the one carrying it. That’s not always easy. Sometimes carrying the burden feels safer than surrendering it. At least if we’re carrying it, we feel like we’re still in control. But the truth is, control is one of the heaviest burdens we can hold. God never asked us to be the Savior of our families. He already sent one. He never asked us to have every answer. He never asked us to fix every problem. He simply asked us to trust Him. So tonight, maybe it’s time to set the grocery bags down. Maybe it’s time to stop believing that everything depends on you. Maybe it’s time to unclench your hands and remember that Jesus has broader shoulders than you do. He is not overwhelmed by your worries. He is not frustrated by your questions. He is not tired of hearing your prayers. He simply says, “Give it to Me.” And because He cares for you, He’ll never drop what you place in His hands. Memorable Takeaway The strongest thing you can do is not carry more—it’s trust more. Reflection * What burden have you been carrying that God never asked you to carry? * Where have you been relying on your own strength instead of God’s? * What would change if you truly believed Jesus could carry what is weighing you down? Prayer Heavenly Father, Thank You for caring about every part of our lives. Thank You that nothing is too small, too complicated, or too heavy for You. Lord, so many of us are tired. We’ve been trying to carry responsibilities, worries, fears, and burdens that were never meant to rest on our shoulders. Forgive us for believing everything depends on us. Teach us what it means to truly cast our cares upon You. Help us trust You with our children, our families, our finances, our health, our future, and the things that keep us awake at night. Replace our anxiety with Your peace. Replace our striving with Your rest. And remind us each day that You are a loving Father who delights in carrying what we cannot. Thank You for never growing weary of us and for always inviting us to come closer. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Thank y’all for spending a little time with me on the porch tonight. Until tomorrow morning at Dark Thirty... Keep looking for God in the little things. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit darkthirty.substack.com
