By Pastor Naomi Mitchell
For Carter County Times
Anyone who loves to fish knows that you have to “cast” your line out into the water for the fish to bite. The definition of cast means “an act of throwing something forcefully.”
A very familiar scripture to us is 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.”
Don’t worry about how God will work things out. You just focus on getting closer to Him and He will handle the rest. Just learn how to “cast” your cares upon Him. Throwing them upon Him and leaving them there. We don’t reel them back in. The Lord can’t help us if we refuse to let it go.
Psalms 55:22 – “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” Isaiah 41:10 – “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” Matthew 11:28 – “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
In 1 Peter 5:7, this verse concludes the thought begun in verse 6. Christians must humble themselves under God’s mighty hand, trusting Him to exalt us at exactly the right time. We must quit the work of seeking our own glory, to accept the work of serving and submitting to others. Then, when the time is right, our God will use His mighty hand to exalt us.
These are words of great encouragement, and maybe conviction, for those struggling to submit to harsh human authorities. It speaks to those serving year after year with little recognition. It encourages those providing for others of limited power or value in society. Natural human fear tells us we are wasting our lives, we are on the wrong path, that our choice to serve in humility without obvious reward is evidence that we may be worthless, after all.
Peter writes that we should take that fear and cast it – throw it – onto our Father God. In fact, he tells us to take all our anxieties, everything that worries us, and to give it to the God who cares so deeply for us. This is not a promise that God will fix everything which worries us. God is not obligated to follow whatever script we write for Him. It’s a promise that the mighty God will receive our worries, and care about them. He will carry them for us. He is trustworthy to handle them in the way that is best.
Peter’s words are a command. It is not God’s will for His children to continue to live under those burdens. Believing that God is mighty and cares for us should result in us regularly handing over our worries to Him.
There’s a song that says, “Burdens are lifted at Calvary.” Jesus paid it all on an old, rugged cross a long time ago. He carried the burden of everything that would come against us upon His bleeding and bruised back so that you and I could go free. He gave His life that we might have life abundantly. Let go and let God do what He does best and that is loving you with an everlasting love. He has given us so many precious promises in the Word of God. Rise up and pray and believe that God will do exactly what He said He would do in our lives. You must step out and receive what has already been paid for you. So don’t reel your worries back in after you cast them on the Lord.
Amen! So be it!
JOYFUL House of Prayer, 2519 Quicksand Road, (P.O. Box 856), Jackson, Kentucky 41339. Send Comments/Prayer Requests: Pastornaomi4god@gmail.com. FB: JoyfulHoprayer. Services: 10am Sunday and Joyful Kids Class at 10:30am, 6:30pm Thursdays. Radio Broadcast: WJSN 97.3 FM & WEKG 81.0 AM Sundays 1-2pm.
