Castng My Cares And Leaving Them There

Casting My Cares and Leaving Them There

Scripture: First Peter 5:6-10; Psalms 55:22; James 4:7

This morning I want to talk to you about fishing – more specifically about how to cast the line and leave it there. You see, there is a right way to cast a line and there is a wrong way to cast a line and once it’s done right, there is a right time and a wrong time in which to reel it in. The title of my message this morning is “Casting My Cares and Leaving Them There.”

When I was young my father taught me how to fish. He took me to a pond and showed me how to place the weight on the line so that the line would cast and sink. Because I was new to fishing and wasn’t capable of knowing when a fish was nibbling on the line by feel, he taught me how to attach the plastic bob on the line so I could tell when a fish was actually trying to take the bait. I loved using the bobs even though my father told me that an experienced fisherman could tell by the slight movement on his line that a fish was taking the bait – whatever! For me, it was all about watching the bob bouncing on the water. I loved watching the bob with great anticipation as it started to dance on the water as the fish would start biting. Sometimes when the fish would start nibbling I would get so excited that I would yank on the pole before the fish swallowed the hook and I would lose the fish and my bait and have to start the process over. Then there were the times when the fish did not jump on the line immediately and I would start to reel it back in to my father’s dismay. You see with fishing as with many things in life, you had to exercise patience. But for those times when I got it right and caught a fish it was exciting.

Now when my father was teaching me how to fish, the most important lesson that he taught me was how to cast my line into the water. For those of you who know how to fish you will know what I am talking about. It took some skill and coordination to learn how to cast it right. For example, if you push the release too soon, you ran the risk of releasing the hook during your back swing and the hook connecting with your clothes or someone else’s clothes during your follow through. Then if you did not cast it out far enough, you’d end up in the weeds close to the pond and get stuck in the bushes in front of you. If you did not hold the pole tight enough it could end up in the water and there was a lot of frustration expressed when that happened. But once I learned and was able to cast it right, the next lesson my father taught me was to exercise patience and leave it alone so the fish could find it – something I struggled with. Like many fathers, when my father was teaching me how to cast he would sometimes use words that he reserved for those most frustrating moments as I worked my way through each of the situations I just mentioned. His frustration with me was expected as I was not following his instructions as he gave them to me. My father taught me these three things about casting that I want to emphasize in my message this morning. First, he taught me how to cast the right way so that the line did not get tangled up and cause more problems. Secondly, he taught me how to cast to the right destination, so I had a better chance of actually catching a fish. And the third thing my father taught me was how to leave the line alone once I got the first two right. I want you to keep these three lessons in mind as I talk to you about casting your cares on Jesus and leaving them there.

I don’t know about you, but this year has started off like none other I can remember in recent years. There have been some difficult moments that caused me to have sleepless nights as I focused on all of the possible outcomes of the situations that I was facing. Now all of you know me and you know where I stand as it relates to worrying and turning our problems over to Jesus, but I am still human and sometimes I respond like we all do. Sometimes I cast my burdens on the Lord and then come back later and get them because I have not truly released them. Sometimes I think I might have an answer, especially when the Lord seems to be silent and I am seeking an immediate answer. Have you ever been there? There are many things in this life that we care about that causes us to experience anxiety. We care about the safety of our families. We care about our financial security. We care about our friends who are experiencing trials and tribulations. We care about the world around us and our local communities. We care about our homes and other possessions. We care about our health. All of these things we care about can often cause us to worry and suffer anxiety from time to time because something is not right. This morning I want you to consider with me the question, “Are we are truly casting our cares on to the Lord and leaving them there?”