It’s hard to believe that the summer has ended, and September is now upon us. For many of us, September, the start of the academic year, is a more significant new year than January. All the schools in Rutland went back on Thursday as children and teenagers embarked on a new academic year, a new class, and maybe even a new school. New starts are exciting, but they can also be quite scary. New people and places, and new things to do. This applies not only to those going back to school. It could include people starting a new job or moving across the country.  New starts are scary. They fill us with fear and anxiety despite any excitement we might feel.

This week, I have been writing our Langham bible study course on 1 Peter before our return on Monday. In 1 Peter 5:6 it says, ‘Cast all your anxiety on God because he cares for you.’ As many of us begin new things in September, I encourage you to think about these words. Remember that God cares for us. He watches over us and looks after us as a shepherd cares for a sheep. God is watching us constantly and will always be there to care for us and bring us through whatever we may face. Therefore, we do not need to hold onto our fears and anxieties, but we can give them to God, trusting that he will bring us through our situations. Whatever you worry about – new starts, work, family, health, money, the world etc. – God will be there with you. That’s not to say that these challenges and situations are easy, but with God, we need not feel anxious about them because he will get us through them. So, whatever you are starting this September, cast all your anxieties onto God because he cares for you and will get you through.