Devotionals

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Practice Makes Perfect

1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (NIV)

While many girls my age were taking dance lessons and wearing tu-tu’s, I, on the other hand, played with creepy crawly night-crawlers and went fishing with my dad. I remember many outings after a nighttime thunderstorm and catching a bucket load of these huge earthworms! The rain drove them out of their holes, and we’d slowly walk all over the yard as our flashlight exposed the bait we’d use for our next fishing day.

From the time I was old enough to hold a cane pole or rod and reel, Dad had me out in the back yard practicing my casting skills. Instead of a hook, Dad put a yellow rubber ball at the end of the fishing line. He’d give me a target to aim for and showed me how to hold the trigger on the reel ‘just so’ until it was time to let go. Over and over I’d cast that little yellow ball and “reel her in.”

We fished in anything that held water I do believe, from creeks and farm ponds in Kentucky to rivers and the Gulf of Mexico in Florida. I remember making it a game to see just how far out into the water I could cast my line. I used a little red and white bobber in Kentucky waters and would anxiously wait for it to disappear beneath the surface, signaling the “bite” of what I imagined to be a whale of a fish!

When we moved to Florida the fishing opportunities were endless. We roamed the banks of Myakka River, pier fished at night on Anna Maria Island, and fished from his boat in Tampa Bay. We walked the Green Bridge or Skyway Bridge many nights looking for “just the right spot.” Bobbers became a thing of the past and feeling the strike of a big red fish or snook took my breath away!

My grandparents wintered in Florida and our favorite pastime together was fishing. Grandpa would always want to make a bet with me to see who caught the first fish, who caught the biggest fish, or who caught the most fish on a given day. If I won, the pay off was usually fifty cents!

I suppose practice does make perfect. I could cast a mean line, but not after many bouts of getting tangled up in the trees overhead. Dad spent many fishing trips untangling and fixing my line, putting on new hooks, or baiting my hooks for me. Night crawlers I could handle, but I never could manage handling live shrimp with their sharp barbs.

The Father wants us to practice casting of a different kind. He wants us to practice “casting our anxiety on Him”…because He loves us and cares about our every need. It takes time to develop these skills. We get so tangled up in life sometimes that we lose sight of our target. Him.

He stands ready and waiting to untangle what we’ve made a mess of. He’s ever present, and waits on us to call out in need. He watches our successes and victories with pleasure.

Think of it this way. What happened when I didn’t cast my line correctly? It never hit the target. The water. But when I took all the appropriate steps, the bait and hook fell just where I wanted it to go.

What are the appropriate steps we need to “cast all our anxiety on him?”
1. Determine your target…aim squarely for Jesus’ shoulders. If they were strong enough to carry the burdens of the world at Calvary, I know they’re strong enough to handle my needs. No matter how big they are.
2. Prepare the line…recognize/acknowledge the situations that cause anxiety for you
3. Thumb on trigger….pinpoint the feelings (fear, worry, etc)
4. Let go and throw….let go and let God (pray)

In fishing, the last part is the hardest. So it is with casting our cares on Him. That’s the part that takes the most practice. The more you give to Him the easier it will become. Before long, it’ll happen like second nature to you!

By casting your cares on Him, you’ll find yourself less tangled up emotionally. You won’t waste all your time in a tizzy trying to fix this and that. You’ll end up spending more time enjoying the results of the casting…peace of mind. Trust me. That’s a whale of a reward that will take your breath away!

©Lucy Cain 1-3-08
www.allgloryishis.com

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