“Humble yourself, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your care on Him, because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6b–7
To cast means: Throw forcefully in a specified direction.
I am originally from Louisiana, the state known as Sportsman’s Paradise. In Louisiana, casting a fishing line from a bayou under the Cedar trees with gorgeous moss canopying overhead, surrounded by numerous stumps in the water among the fallen trees and limbs can be quite tricky. In a bayou there are countless majestic Cedar trees close to each other in certain areas, which is where the fish like to hang out.
When I cast my line, things can go south in a bad way fast. The hook in flight can become stuck in a tree or find itself tangled in whatever may be under the water out of view. However, no fish can be caught without casting the line. When it is cast, there is a pause of trusting the line to go where it is sent. There is a chance that the line will catch the moss of the trees or be swallowed in the marshy water below. The outcome of the cast is unknown, the line must be cast in order to fish.
Jesus tells us to cast our cares on Him. Like when fishing, it may be difficult to freely cast our lines to Jesus. A part of us wants to hold onto the line because there is a risk to casting. Placing our trust in someone else and letting go of that concern can seem dangerously irresponsible. For me, this is all too familiar. There have been some tall trees I have had to chop down before trusting that casting is safe. In fact, I am going through something now that requires me to cast and trust. Jesus is saying, “Do you trust Me?”
When I was younger things happened to me that were beyond my control. Needless to say as an adult, because of those things, I lacked the trust I needed in order to function. It also caused me to believe that I couldn’t rely on anyone but myself.
The thought of casting my cares, concerns, worries, and anxieties onto someone else, wasn’t reality to me. The fact that I was to take those cares off my shoulders, then put them onto someone else’s, leaving them there and no longer be concerned, well, I couldn’t begin to grasp that concept.
Then there is trusting someone to care enough to help without a motive. Someone that loves with a love we can’t begin to comprehend. One that has our best interest at heart. Someone that is working all things for our good. We all know how hard it can be to trust others if your soul has been wounded.
In John 14:27b, Jesus says, “Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
Matthew 6:25–31, tells us, “do not be worried about your life, what we should eat, drink or wear.” The tense of the Greek text is properly translated, “Stop worrying.” Verse 31 starts, “Therefore do not be anxious.” This tense is different, however, and means, “Don’t start worrying.” So, Jesus is basically saying, If you are worrying, quit; if you haven’t started, don’t. He is giving us a command, not a suggestion. He knows what worrying can do to us. It can truly make us ill. Steal our joy. Rob us of a close relationship with Jesus, because of the doubt that creeps in with worrying.
As we grow in the Lord, we need to take Him at His word. We need to trust that He can handle our lives. We can cast our cares, because He loves us so much, that He will take care of what concerns us. We just need to seek Him and His Kingdom first, His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33
God can be trusted. Numbers 23:19 states, “God is not a man, that He might lie, or a son of man, that He might change His mind. Does He speak and not act, or promise and not fulfill?” Of course not. His promises are yes and amen. We can put a hook in that and pull it in! We can trust Him with everything that weighs heavy on our heart. We must trust Him!!
This is a lesson I am learning. I am so grateful that Jesus is helping me through this lesson. My shoulders aren’t as heavy as they once were or as sore from holding onto the line. I’m casting it to Him.
Lord Jesus, help us in our weakness when we struggle in the area of casting our cares and trusting You with them. Give us the strength, courage and faith to walk in obedience, that we may do what Your Word tells us, which is to cast our cares onto You. We are trusting that you will take care of our concerns and that we are not to worry, but to bring it all to You and lay it at Your feet. We long to trust and obey. Thank you Jesus for loving us. Amen!
Today’s post was written by Randi Stanton, who is a contributor for the Deeper Still Devotional Blog. Randi lives in Maumelle, Arkansas, and is married to Tom. She has two children, three stepchildren, and two gorgeous grandchildren. She also enjoys hiking in the mountains, playing with her dogs, reading and studying God’s Word. Randi serves on the Arkansas Deeper Still team.
Deeper Still is a ministry that offers free weekend retreats for women who have had abortions and the men who fathered children lost to abortion. If you have had an abortion and would like more information about our retreats, please go to www.GoDeeperStill.org to find a retreat close to you.