There are many references in the Bible to Jesus and fishing. He not only created fish, but He gave them to us as a tasty and nutritious food. The first disciples He chose were fishermen, and their nets filled with fish when He told them to cast them on the other side of the boat.
Jesus also taught from and sailed in fishing boats. He fed thousands with a simple meal that included some dried fish. After His resurrection, Jesus invited the disciples to a breakfast, where He had prepared fish for them over a fire.
I thought of these things after going fishing on Pickerel Lake with my old friend Mike. We caught so many big panfish in such a short amount of time, my head was spinning as fast as my reel. I should say, Mike caught so many fish, as he easily pulled in five keepers for every one of mine.
Now I think I’ve learned a few tips from that wise angler, but the most basic is that you have to cast your bait out there. The best hook, line, and sinker do you no good dangling in the boat. You gotta throw it. And while this doesn’t apply to fishing, “casting” your line should help us understand what it means to “cast” our problems and anxieties on the Lord.
As we read in Psalm 55:22, “Cast your burden on the LORD, and He will sustain you.” What a great promise! And Peter (the fisherman!) writes, “casting all your cares on Him because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). We are not to keep our worries close to us, but rather we must throw them, cast them on God. He cares for you. He will sustain you. That’s the truth. Not just some fish story.
