Casting the whole of your care, all your anxieties, all your worries,

all your concerns, once and for all on Him,

for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.

I Peter 5:7

One day when my husband and son were planning to go casting at a local pond. They both have new fly rods and have been waiting anxiously to try them out. They don’t have fishing licenses so they can only work on casting. I decided that in their absence, I would practice casting as well. I don’t need to leave home to do this, nor do I need a fly rod or a body of water; I just need a few moments of quiet with my Savior.

I am good at hanging on to cares and worries and concerns but right now I purpose to cast them off, to give them to Jesus and let Him take care of them. I made a list of concerns and cares and rated them from worst to not so worse. Then I separated them into likely to happen and not so likely to happen, and ones I can do something about and ones I can’t do a thing about.

As I write this, it seems odd that I would invest the time in that, but I found it strangely helpful. Almost like how a To-Do list helps me be more organized, providing I remember where I left the list. I gave some serious thought to this, working though what would happen should the worst case scenario happen. I decided that should it happen, I have done all I can to prepare for that and God will take care of the rest. I crossed some things off the list because when written in black and white they lost some of their power.

I’m not sure this is what Peter meant when he said to cast our cares, odd are, he didn’t make a list and check it twice, but I found it freeing. There isn’t a care on my list that is too big for God to be able to handle nor too small for Him to care about.  He is watching over me and cares for me more than I can ever imagine. What would be on your list? Anything too big or too small for God?

Father, how tightly I have held onto my list of cares and worries. So much so, that my stomach has been in knots lately and I have lost sleep. I pray You will forgive me. I know better, I know You have my life in Your hands and under Your watchful eye, but still the anxieties and cares got to me. I purpose today to cast those cares onto You and allow You to bring peace and comfort and victory on my behalf. If I try to pick them up, will You whisper in my ear that You are watching over me and that You care? I ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

I would love to hear from you. Please let me know if I can be praying for you as well.

pic credit: dianereid