I'M NOT SO GOOD AT CASTING

I dug around in the mine of 1 Peter 5:7 to find the gold and discovered valuable, shiny nuggets which seriously challenged me spiritually. 

“Casting all your care upon Him for He cares for you” was my launching pad. Various translations of that verse unpacked the meaning more clearly.

“Casting” in some versions by definition means throwing, and hurling. Not a gentle handing over of something reluctantly or with a repeatable action. More like violently heaving a stone into a river not expecting to ever retrieve it.

“Casting” is also an action when fishing with a pole. A line with bait on a hook is swung from over one's shoulder as far into the river or lake as possible. The fisherman expects to reel it back in and repeatedly cast it until a fish bites on the hook.

Applying it as the Scriptures do to our cares or burdens or worries or anxieties, I'm usually guilty of casting in the second fishing fashion. Casting my cares on Him as He wants me to in the first definition? Not so much. I'm inclined to reel back some worry or care I may have tentatively given to God to take care of—and then hug the care or anxiety to myself again, trying to solve a problem or carry a burden alone—an impossible task. This despite His promise to care for me, to sustain me, to hold me up, to deliver me, to provide for me.

Saint Peter, the disciple-then-apostle to whom Jesus committed the keys of the Kingdom wrote this promise in his letter in his mature years with ample experience of God's faithfulness. He spells out clearly that I must “cast,” intentionally hurl, throw with no taking back “all” my cares, worries, problems, anxieties. Where? On God. Trust in God is indispensable. No half-way action. Like the rock thrown into the river.

The Psalmist, King David, gave us the same promise. “Cast your burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain you. He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” (Psalm 55:22)

A wise and mature believer of the past century wrote: “Cast all your care" –ALL means ALL your personal cares, family cares, cares for the present, and cares for the future, for ourselves, for others, for the church, on God. These are burdensome when they arise from our unbelief and lack of trust in Him. Our cares weigh us down. Anxieties torture and distract our mind, make us unfit for our duties, and hinder our delight in living and serving the Lord. When we cast our care upon God, refer all to His disposal, and leave every event to His wise and gracious working, with the firm belief that the Divine will and counsels are right, our restless spirit will be calmed. Truly those who would be godly too often forget this, and fret themselves to no purpose. The gold mines of all spiritual comfort and good are wholly His. Will He not provide what is fit for us, if we humbly wait on Him? In His wisdom and love will He not responsibly care for us?”

I confess that I do need more casting practice—but not with a fishing pole. With hurling the rocks of my anxieties, problems, concerns, and cares of this world that weigh me down, Not casting them into some river, but to Jesus who invited me to come unto Him with my heavy burdens and He will take care of them. They are too heavy for me, but Jesus said that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Isn't that a great exchange?

P.S. I suggest we give a name to each of those burdens we are casting on Him. Let's be intentional and specific: "I cast the uncertainty of my financial provision on Him. I cast my fear of the future on Him. I cast my worry about my medical prognosis on Him. I cast my concern for a family member on Him. I cast the anxiety of losing my job on Him..."  No matter how heavy the burden, Jesus will carry it for me!