For the first time in almost 30 years, I got a fishing license. I remember my dad taking me fishing when I was a little girl.  But sitting still and being patient has never been a personality characteristic of mine. I fall more into the ADHD category. However, my husband and I recently purchased fishing licenses and we have enjoyed a few mornings this summer, taking in the outdoors and enjoying a time of relaxation. 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” The definition of cast is “an act of throwing something forcefully”.  Picture this—you bring all your burdens, worries, sorrows, and like you would cast a line to catch a fish, you throw those worries and burdens away. You forcefully throw them as hard as you can! But, unlike fishing, you don’t reel them back in!

The art of fishing reminds me of our walk with the Lord. Of course, you have the Apostles who were fisherman. Jesus told Peter, in Matthew 4:19, “‘Come, follow me’, Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’”  When you go fishing, you pack up your supplies, leave your current location, and arrive at your destination. Casting out your line, you put your faith in the process. You have the right equipment and the right bait. Now you sit back and wait expectantly. In our relationship with God, we can’t cast our cares on Him, without first knowing WHO He is. We have to leave our current place of anxiety and fear and go to Him. To reap an abundant catch, we need the right equipment. We need His word to fill our heart. We need prayer; a way to lift up our praises and fears. And we need to trust, as we sit quietly with expectation of what He will provide.

This past week has given us many reasons to feel anxious. The world seems like it’s been spun on its head! The past couple days have left my heart heavy. The difference this time, however, is that while I grieve—I do not fear. I have taken my fear and thrown it away! And I cut the line on my pole so I can’t reel that fear back towards my heart! I know that God is sovereign. I know that I can’t possibly understand or see what He sees; know what He knows. My job as a believer in Christ, is to trust and obey! What does that look like when it gets dark, and evil seems to be around every corner? Psalm 56 was written by David. David’s circumstances were bleak, but he claimed his faith in his God. “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid”. David trusted WHO God is and didn’t allow his fear to overshadow that knowledge. One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Isaiah 59:1, “Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.” For those of us who place our trust in God, we can rest in that promise. He hears us and he is able to save us!

If you find your heart tangled up in the reeds of worry and the weeds of fear, cut your line! God loves you! He is still in control. He wants you to give Him your fear so that He can replace it with His peace. His grace and love will take away any mistake you may have made. Throw it away! Cast it out and in its place, let Him fill your heart with His peace.  “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” -Amen