“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
1 Peter 5:6-7 NIV
Teaching my kids how to fish was a blast. Once we got past the squiggly, slimy worms and the fishy smells, and the sharp, needle-like hooks, we finally got to cast the line in the water.
And what fun it was.
Casting the line into the trees. Hooking somebody’s fishing hat. Forgetting to hold onto the pole and watching the whole thing go sailing into the lake. Great times!
But then came the time we got it just right. Our eyes were on the place we wanted the line to hit.
Our thumbs released the line at just the right time during the cast. We held onto the pole but released the perfect cast. What a great feeling!
We get the same feeling of joy, of accomplishment, of release whenever we cast our cares on the Lord. We send it out to Him and finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Patience is not something that comes naturally to me. I cast my fishing line out into the water but instead of leaving it alone until a fish comes along and the bobber goes under, I wait only a couple of seconds and start reeling it back in.
Why don’t I wait? When I cast my cares on the Lord, why do I reel them back in instead of waiting for God to do His work? I’m I fisherman (sort of). I cast it out, I reel it in. It’s time to change!
My new challenge … casting skills. Cast them out, don’t reel them back in.
Wait patiently for God to do His work.
~ Michael D Simpson
