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?”
Turn with me to First Peter 5:6-10. I will be reading from the Amplified translation. “(6) Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time, (7) casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]. (8) Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour. (9) But resist him, be firm in your faith [against his attack-rooted, established, immovable], knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being experienced by your brothers and sisters throughout the world. [You do not suffer alone.] (10) After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace [who imparts His blessing and favor], Who called you to His own eternal glory in Christ, will Himself complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish you [making you what you ought to be].” (First Peter 5:6-10)
The first thing Peter wrote, and I am making this personal to me, is that I should humble myself - demote, lower myself in my own estimation under the mighty hand of God so that in due time He may exalt me. Do you know how humbling it is to believe that you know what you know and can teach others, only to find yourself struggling in an unexpected situation that you are facing? You know what your response to the situation is supposed to be but you struggle executing it! Being humble is important because it flushes out the pride that prevents us from learning from our experiences and from others. When my father was teaching me to fish, I was young and I knew he knew more than me about fishing and everything else in life. My father knew how to fish and he was sharing what he had learned with me. Because of our relationship I had no problem humbling myself to allow him to teach me. You see, my father had something that I needed – knowledge of fishing and if I was not willing to learn from him because of my pride, I would not have learned the proper way to cast. I wanted to learn how to fish, how to cast in such a way that it yielded results. And just like when I was learning to cast my fishing line, I had to learn how to cast my cares on to Jesus. This year I cast some cares on to Him with few results because I did not leave them there. So there were times when I had to start over. Being humble before the Lord means that I understand that I need to cast my cares on to Him and once I did to leave them there. I have learned the hard way that when I take them back, I set myself up for failure. So, I continue to learn that I must cast my cares on to Jesus and then leave it there.
Remember what I told you about getting frustrated when I would cast my line the right way and actually get it to the right destination and then nothing happened and the bob just sat there? If the bob did not start moving within 2-3 minutes of me casting it out there, I was ready to reel it in and start over. My father would tell me to leave it alone and allow the fish to find the worm. That was a struggle for me and spiritually it is the same thing. You see, I have learned how to cast my cares on to Jesus, but I am still not patient enough to leave them without going back to get them sometimes. I want results immediately. I want that bob to start bobbing as soon as it hits the water. But things don’t work that way in the natural or in the spiritual. I give my cares to the Lord but, as soon as I do, I sometimes start to reel them back in because I do not see anything happening immediately. I want to cast my cares on to Him and get an immediate response. I do not want to wait. I do not want to be patient. When I cast my cares on to Jesus, I must focus on leaving them there. If I purposefully put them there why would I want to take them back? Leaving them with Jesus comes down to my humbling myself - being willing to ask for help and then releasing it into His hands. If I humble myself and admit that I cannot handle this any longer, I admit my weakness and my heart is open to receiving help. As long as I am trying to develop the answers on my own, I close God’s hands. In my heart, I know spiritually that everything is going to be fine, but I want to see it in the natural, with my own two eyes.
Paul wrote the truth when he wrote, “For we walk by faith, not by sight [living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God's promises.] (Second Corinthians 5:7) Walking by faith is different from walking by sight. You see, I want the actual manifestation of what the Lord is doing to be seen as soon as I put my cares on to Him. In the natural, walking by my sight, if I am walking down the street carrying a heavy load and someone walks up and says “Let me help you” and they take part of it, I know immediately that part of my load has been lifted. I see the other person carrying the load and I can feel it because my load is much lighter. While this is good and I appreciate it, this is not what Jesus is talking about. Jesus wants us to trust Him and give Him all of it. He doesn’t want to share our cares with us. He wants to take them from us. This is what I want when I cast my cares on to Jesus. I do not want to think about them anymore. I do not want to remember them. I do not want to lose the sleep contemplating any responses that I might need to make. I want to turn them over and then experience the freedom one gets when life is good and there are no worries. Even though I want all of this and can have it, I often do not get it because too often I still find myself walking by what I don’t see – seeking immediate results that I can see now. And I know that the Bible says we are to walk by faith, meaning we don’t have to see immediate results to believe they are there just the same. When we cast our cares on to Jesus we must believe with all that in within us that at that very moment He is handling the problem. That is the only way that we will be able to return to a level of peace with the situation.
Peter says we should be “(7) Casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].” Peter tells us that we should cast all of our cares on the Lord. Not some of them, but all of them. In the past, all of us, at one time or another, have cast our cares on to family members; friends; co-workers, etc.; everyone but the Lord. And we all know what happened. Sometimes they might have helped a little, but they primarily offered moral support because some situations they were not in a position to fix. And to make matters worse, depending on who we confided it, we often received conflicting advice leaving us right back where we started. The Lord never gives us conflicting advice! Do you see why Peter said we should cast them all on to Jesus? Our loved ones and friends care about us, but they often do not have the answer that takes away our worries. Only when we give our cares to the Lord and leave them will our worries be released.
As we read further in the verse, Peter not only tells us what we should cast on to Jesus, but he tells us why we should do it. He says that we should cast everything, all of our worries and concerns on to Jesus because He cares for us. Not only does He care about us, but He cares about us affectionately and watchfully. This is important. When my father was teaching me to cast, you know what he did? He watched out for me while I was doing it. His attention was on me while I followed his direction. He not only told me how to cast, but where to cast and where to stand while I was doing it. It was not just about the technique; it was also about safety. He did not want me hooking myself (nor him) or falling into the water. This is how Jesus affectionately and watchfully looks out for each of us – because He cares for us. As we cast our cares on to Him, He watches to make sure we are okay and sends us comfort and peace throughout the process. David wrote, “Cast your burden on the LORD [release it] and He will sustain and uphold you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken (slip, fall, fail).” (Psalms 55:22) When we release our burdens to God, He has promised to sustain us. When we release our burdens to God, He has promised to hold us. And when we release our burdens to God, He has promised to never allow us to fall! New Light, what a wonderful and loving Father we have!
Then Peter also tells us in verses eight and nine, “(8) Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour. (9) But resist him, be firm in your faith [against his attack - rooted, established, immovable], knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being experienced by your brothers and sisters throughout the world. [You do not suffer alone.]” Peter tells us we must be well balanced – disciplined. Being well-balanced and disciplined directly impacts how we cast our cares upon the Lord. To be balanced fully and always requires some things. First, we must be temperate. When we are temperate, we have a level of self-restraint and/or self-control in all situations – we don’t reel the line back in just because the fish aren’t biting immediately. When we cast our cares on to Jesus, we can leave them there knowing that He has us! I do not flex too much to the right or to the left when things are stressful. When I think of temperate, I think about my older brother Barry. He tends to have calmness about him when he addresses situations. But, because I tend to be a man of action, sometimes his calmness frustrates me because I want him to recommend that I take action – something he seldom does! I recognize in my old age that I need to be more temperate as it truly represents strength versus weakness.
Peter also states that we should be sober minded. To be sober minded means that our minds are alert and focused. After Peter tells us to be balanced, he warns us to also be vigilant and cautious at all times. To be vigilant and cautious goes along with being sober minded because, all together, they mean to be alert, watchful and focused. There is a reason Peter is instructing us this way. When our cares and worries become so great and we lose our focus, then we become the hunted. In the second part of verse eight Peter states “for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring (in fierce hunger), seeking someone to seize upon and devour.” When we are not balanced, alert and focused, we become the prey that Satan is hunting. Let me give you an example. You can stand on one foot with your eyes open and pretty much keep your balance. However, if you stand on one foot and close your eyes, you will begin to sway. Why? This happens because your eyes allow you to concentrate on something that maintains your balance. But when you close them, most people lose this ability. This is what happens when we lose our balance spiritually. We begin to wobble.
Let me give you another example. When someone is “under the influence” of alcohol, people can easily recognize it. They recognize it because the person is not balanced; they slur their words, wobble when they walk, and cannot stand still (balance). This is why a person who is driving erratically is suspected of being under the influence and given a sobriety test, which is designed to determine if person is sober and temperate (in other words clear minded and self-controlled.) If your mind is not clear and you are unable to control your speech, your ability to walk straight, and your hand/eye coordination is off, you are not balanced as these are all signs that you are under the influence. On holiday weekends, police patrol the highways looking for people who are driving under the influence. They are hunting for those who are violating the law. How do they identify them? They identify them by the one sign: the way they are driving. When the police see a car weaving back and forth across the center line, they know the person is possibly under the influence of something and they pull them over for their own safety and for the safety of others.
Now let me bring this home so that you understand clearly what God is telling us. When we lose our balance through the worries of this life we become the hunted. Satan is out there looking for those who have lost their balance so that he can come in for the kill. He easily recognizes Christians who have lost their balance because, when it comes to their faith, he sees that their words are wobbly and unfocused, and that their speech is slurred. In other words, they don’t firmly speak the Word in faith. We demonstrate our wobbliness when we are worried, stressed and anxious. When we are worried we cannot focused. When we begin to waver in our faith as evident in what we say about what God is able to do, we are as the alcoholic who is slurring his speech. All of these things are signs that Satan looks for as he is out there “like a lion roaring (in fierce hunger), seeking someone to seize upon and devour.” Does this make sense? The only way we can defeat this foe is to know when and where he is attacking and this can only take place when our minds are clear, alert and focused. This can only happen when we cast our cares, our worries and our anxieties on God.
Verse nine says, “Withstand him; be firm in faith (against his onset – rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined), knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world.” When we are balanced, we can withstand Satan’s attack. We withstand him because our faith is not shaken because we have seen the evidence that whenever we cast our cares on to the Lord, things change. By faith we do not have to understand the fullness of how he is attacking because we know the victory is already ours – if we remain focused and balanced. Because we are balanced and not wobbly, we are able to withstand him. Jesus' brother, James, tells us in James 4:7 to “So be subject to God. Resist the devil, stand firm against him, and he will flee from you.” Whenever we are in a battle, if we withstand our enemies and resist them, they eventually will have to give up and leave. James tells us that when are submitted to God and we stand against Satan and resist him, he will eventually flee from us. It does not mean we will not have some battle scars or injuries, but in the end, we win. Peter tells us the following in verse 10: “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, Who imparts all blessing and favor, Who has called you to His Own eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you.” Being a Christian does not mean that we will not suffer. The truth is it guarantees us that we will suffer. Being a Christian does not mean that our life will be easy or that we will not have trials and tribulations. The opposite is true. However, being a Christian does means that we have an avenue; a means of dealing with everything that we face. We have a God who is the one and true God who is carefully watching over us and is willing bring us through everything that we face – if we truly cast our cares on Him and leave them there.
When my father was teaching me how to fish, I know there were times when I frustrated him. There were times when after I had learned a little bit I thought I knew enough to do it on my own. There were times when he told me what to do and yet I thought I knew a better way. Through all of these times, my father was patient and allowed me to learn from my own stupidity. When I truly began to learn what he was teaching me, my father allowed me to try some things on my own. He knew that I was able to do it because I had taken the time to learn what he had taught me. Jesus is the same way. He desires that we allow Him to teach us and, just as important, to help us. The only way this can happen is that we learn to cast our cares on Him and leave them there. When we turn our worries over to Him, we must leave them there and allow Him to take care of them. If we are not able to do that, then we are like that person who has consumed too much alcohol and is unbalanced. They are not sober minded and in control of their physical or mental being. They are wobbling and everyone who sees them know that they are unbalanced.
When we are that unbalanced, we become the hunted; the one Satan focuses on because he knows we are in a weakened state and are easy prey. I do not know what cares and worries you are carrying this morning – but if you are carrying any, you are out of balance. I spent a lot of time the past few months being out of balance and it is not a good place to be. When I am not in balance, my focus is not what it should be and my mind is not clear. When I am not in balance I spend more time looking at my situation and all the contingencies versus looking at God and turning it over to Him. Whatever you are carrying today will you join me in giving it to the Lord so that all of us can get back into balance? Are you casting and leaving or are you casting and reeling it back in before the Lord has an opportunity to do anything about it? May God bless and keep you is my prayer.
Until next time, “The Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
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