1 Peter 5:7 says to cast or throw off “all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” My tendency is to cast, then retrieve, that care. Why can’t I trust and rest? In meditating on this verse, the Lord gave me a mental picture of a fly fisherman.
I know zero about fly fishing, but the Lord had my attention. Google research indicates that fly fishing is an intricate sport, involving all manner of casting twists and turns. You’ve probably seen movie shots of the back-and- forth repeated movements of fly fishing. I found that those are sometimes referred to as false casts. They are not only practice attempts but help with momentum for casting further, with more accuracy. I felt a little relief about my spiritual false casting, but that feeling was short lived. Apparently, there is an “overdo” factor in false casting. If you do it too much, your line will end up tangled in weeds or overhead branches. I’ve been there, tangled in worry and care that didn’t get cast on Him.
The Lord seemed to speak to me in this about the intentionality of the cast. No “religious going through the motions” prayer will do. This casting is an assertive act of throwing those heavy burdens over on His shoulders because HE CARES FOR YOU. In Matthew 11: 28-30 Jesus says we can put our burdens on Him and take His yoke onto our shoulders. His yoke is easy. We need to make that purposeful exchange, our burdens for His yoke. We can meditate on these verses until they do the work in our spirits so we can make that trade. If you experience a few false casts, don’t worry. He blesses the practice of prayer.
~Nan Robertson
Christ Fellowship