“Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 (ESV)

I recently stumbled upon some pictures from when my oldest son, now a teenager, was in preschool.

The pictures captured a summer camping trip, and in one particular shot, I caught him tossing a twig in the water.

I sat staring at that picture on my computer, letting my mind wander back to that moment, almost 10 years ago, when I watched my boy enjoy a carefree moment on a carefree day. I remember standing behind him, watching him, smiling and enjoying my own carefree moment, seeing him having fun.

I watched him consistently and deliberately pick up a stick from the ground and throw it hard and far across the water. There were broken twigs everywhere. It was almost as if they kept cropping up. My son didn’t seem bothered by all the twigs near his feet. His goal was simply to see exactly how far those sticks could go. He cast each broken twig, one at a time, with all his might. The farther each stick went, the more excited he got.

As I contemplated the photo and memories of that relaxed afternoon, I thought about how much easier it seems to cast broken twigs into the water than to cast the concerns of my broken life onto God.

Instead of picking them up one at a time to cast at His feet, I tend to pick them up and collect them — holding on to them and letting the burden of the brokenness weigh me down.

Why do we opt to carry the broken pieces of our lives in arms of anxiety, fear, stress or worry — instead of casting those cares upon the Lord?

I’m convinced we either don’t believe He cares, or we don’t know how to do it.

Our key Scripture says in 1 Peter 5:7 we ought to cast our cares upon God. The word “cast” means to throw forcibly. As it’s used in Scripture, it implies more than a casual placing of our concerns at Jesus’ feet. Casting our cares upon God gives us a picture of forcibly tossing our cares and troubles as far away from us as they will go, trusting the God who loves us can catch them and knows exactly how to deal with all that concerns us.

The Amplified Bible version of that same verse says, “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].”

I must be consistent and deliberate about noticing the little things that concern me and placing them at the Father’s feet in prayer. And I must talk to Him about those things verbally or by jotting them in my journal to symbolize giving those things to Him.

And if those broken pieces keep cropping up, I simply keep tossing ‘em His way.

What is concerning you today?

Cast or throw them with all of your might at the feet of Jesus. Pray with faith, believing God does care and He is fully capable of handling your requests.

Will the cares and concerns of this life keep cropping up? Yes. They most certainly will.

But as you consistently and deliberately cast your cares on Him, you’ll begin to see how far anxiety, fear, stress or worry move away from you as you learn to trust in Him.

And just like my son, the more excited you will become.

Dear Father in Heaven, so much in my life is broken. I have so many concerns and cares, and they weigh me down. While I desire to cast my cares upon You, I find I usually pick them back up again, and they only add more anxiety and stress. Please help me learn to cast my cares on You as I learn what it means to rest and trust in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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TRUTH FOR TODAY:

Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (ESV)

RELATED RESOURCES:

What if God gave you the chance to forget your past and start over? Begin building a strong, faith-filled future based on God's vision for your life instead of your own with our upcoming First 5 study of Joshua and Judges. Get the Experience Guide today.

Would you like to know more about what it means to trust God with your life? Check out Kingdom Woman by Tony Evans and Chrystal Evans Hurst.

CONNECT:

If you desire to have a more consistent and intentional prayer life, Chrystal has designed a free 7-Day Prayer Journey to help you talk to God about what concerns you. CLICK HERE to download a tool that will help you cast your cares on Him.

REFLECT AND RESPOND:

One of the best ways to cast your concerns on God is to share with others who will pray for you. Share your concerns in the comments below, and allow someone to help you carry your load.

© 2016 by Chrystal Evans Hurst. All rights reserved.