I love analogies. I love to get a picture in my mind that completely explains a point. My husband likes to fly fish. It’s quite different from fishing with a rod and reel. There seems to be a different art to it. When you cast out, there’s a lot going on with the line. You kind of whip the rod back and forth to get a good cast. The casting part is pretty aggressive. It’s not a light touch. You’re literally slinging that rod back and forth to get the maximum cast. So, The Lord used that illustration to show me something. I love it when He does that!
“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” (I Peter 5:6-7 NKJV) For us to have a successful life of peace, we have to unload our burdens somewhere. Our friends and family members have their own issues. They aren’t designed to carry our stuff too. God wants us to come up under His umbrella of protection and literally “cast” our anxieties of life towards Him. Just like with that fishing rod, you want to aggressively throw the hardships as far away from you as possible. You want to get these situations in more capable hands. You surrender all of your “trying to fix it” to The One who can. You cast out with an emptiness and expect to reel in a return. The goal is not to gently lay your burdens down. They’re too easy to pick back up. Don’t be gentle with hardship. Cast it as far away from you as possible. Be aggressive! This hardship is trying to control your life. You have a solution! His name is Jesus and He’s inviting you to cast your cares on Him. He has a remedy for every one of life’s situations.
When you cast your worries, anxiety and trying to fix everything out to Jesus, do so with an expectation of reeling in victory. It’s a great exchange. He lightens your heavy load by replacing it with His peace. Show Him that you understand that you, alone, do not have what it takes to fix anything or create peace in your heart. Acknowledge Him as The Prince of Peace and submit yourself to Him. Jesus said, “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5 NLT) This is such a key verse. Jesus doesn’t lie. He’s telling us that without His perspective and expertise in situations, we can do absolutely nothing. Why do we try so hard to come up with solutions to things we have no control over? These dilemmas get in our minds and control our thought life. He’s saying, “Cast it out to me! I can fix it. You can’t do anything about it in your own strength.”
The Lord uses hardship in our lives to build our trust in Him. When we’re at a dead end and see no way out, He makes a way! “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:19 NLT) This IS Who He IS! He’s The Great I AM! This is the same God who parted The Red Sea so His children could walk safely across dry land. This will build the bridge of trust in your life directly to Him. He wants us to trust Him. He wants to show up big on our behalf. Take whatever is bothering you and weighing you down and cast your cares on Him!
Today’s writer is Brandi Crowe. A hairdresser for over 25 years, she is currently the owner of Brandi Crowe salon in Buford, GA. She loves hiking, a good cup of coffee, and spending time with family and friends. Brandi lives in a custom farmhouse with her husband Robby and cat Harold.
