Peter and the disciples experienced the catch of a lifetime in John 21:1-8. When Jesus told the disciples to cast their nets on the right side the Bible said in verse 6, they couldn’t haul in the net!

Now that I have your attention, let’s talk about casting from a different perspective. In 1 Peter 5:7, we are commanded to “cast all our anxiety on him because He cares for us.” God does not want us to carry around the weight of problems and burdens. In this verse, God is telling us to give Him ALL of our worries and concerns; big or small.

God cares about us and our well being! Peter must have been familiar with Psalm 55:22 because he and David were casting from the same boat! David said, “Cast your cares upon the Lord and he will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.”

I get it!!! Especially now more than ever, life is heavy. The incessant flow of negative or fearful thoughts are more inundating and it’s perfectly normal to get a little emotional! But I beseech you, to cast your net on the right side.

In the corporate world people don’t cast nets into bodies of water rather, they cast wider nets to promote and inspire change that generate greater results! In other words, they do something different!

In this season, we have to do something different! We have to be like net fishermen and/or baseball pitchers and cast/throw ALL of our cares: worries, frustrations, disappointments, anger, discouragement, anxieties, and depression over to the Lord!

Now, don’t get me wrong! If you’re dealing with something really heavy such as loss (death, job, etc), it is absolutely normal to cry, grieve, curl up in a ball for a moment, because when things like that happen, God knows exactly where you are in that moment. But I also want to encourage you to rest in the comfort of the Holy Spirit and in God’s supernatural peace (Philippians 4:6-7)!

CAST = Commit, Ask, Surrender, and Trust!!

COMMIT everything to Him. He is all we really need, and as Matthew 6:33 reminds us, as we seek Him, He will take care of everything else.

ASK in prayer for wisdom, strength, guidance, understanding, and vision. Ask for what you need, what you want, what you think you might need, and especially for whatever the Lord knows you need. Pray constantly.

SURRENDER your hopes, goals, dreams, desires, situations, relationships, career – surrender everything to Him. Give God permission to work in your life, in any and every aspect of your life in whatever way seems best to Him. Open the door to God’s best, then expect Him to show up.

TRUST Jesus. Remember, He wants nothing but the best for you. However, His best and our view of best often don’t match up. Accept that what you think is best might not be so, but what Jesus thinks is best, truly is. That may mean going through some painful times. We’ve all been there. Grow from these times. Grow closer to the Lord. Grow in faith. Grow in prayer. Grow in trust. And revel in the relationship we are building with Jesus, our Way-maker, Savior, and King.

Life is full of opportunities to worry, but we don’t have to take them. When we obey God’s Word and C.A.S.T. our cares on Jesus, we will begin to live in the supernatural peace that only Jesus can give us! This is part of the abundant life Jesus is referring to in John 10:10 and it belongs to all of us.

We are invited to give God our fears, worries, and stress. In response to our obedience, God will replenish, refresh, and restore!!

So, turn to God first and seek him especially in the storms of life. We were made for more than to worry and be anxious, more than to be afraid, more than to feel crushed by the weight of our trials. We were made to be strong and courageous!

#BeStrong