CAST YOUR CARE:
Sunday School Lesson
“Ya know son, there’s a couple of spiritual lessons we can gleam from fishing, and a day out on the lake. For example, the way we cast out our line reminds me of what the Bible says about casting our cares on Him, because He cares for us.…… just like you cast out your fishing line for a bite, you can cast up your cares to the LORD! Just face the palms of your hands upward toward the sky, straighten your arms upward and say to Him, ‘I’m lifting up all my worries to You Oh Lord,’ and you will actually feel your burdens lifting off of you.”
“That’s awesome Dad!” Thanks! I’ll try that next time I’m worryin’ bout’ stuff,” TJ replied, as he reeled in his empty line from the lake for another try.
“And there’s another thing that fishing reminds me of that’s in the Bible,” his father added.
“Oh, you mean that Jesus said that we are to be ‘fishers of men’ right?”
“YES, so you know all about that?”
“Well yeah…..You tell me like everyday!”
“Hahahaha, well, can you think of anything else that connects fishing to the Bible?” His father asked.
“Not exactly, but I do remember the four disciples who were fishermen: Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John, and Peter walking on the water when Jesus called Him to Himself.”
“Yes, very good TJ! Walking on the water is a lesson in trust, and there’s the miraculous catching of fish, recorded in Luke 5:1-9. When Jesus caused the men to catch so many fish their nets were breaking, even though they hadn’t caught any all night. But when they relied on Jesus everything changed.
Then in John 21: 10-13, where Jesus once again helps them to catch a lot of fish by casting the line on the right side and they caught one hundred and fifty-three fish.
And then there’s the miracle of Jesus feeding five thousand people with only two little fish and five loaves of bread recorded in John 6:8-13,” his father explained.
TJ nodded.
“And, then we can’t forget the story of Jonah and the whale. God had the whale swallow Jonah and he stayed in the belly of that very large fish for three days, and then God made the whale throw up Jonah. This was a tough lesson for Jonah, but he obeyed God and went to Ninevah after that!
Then in Matthew 17:24-27, the Jews must pay an increase in their taxes, and Jesus put the coin in the fish’s mouth to provide them the money they needed! And then of course we know that Jesus told His disciples to follow Him and be ‘fishers of men,’ that means leading people to the Lord for salvation, as recorded in Matthew 4:19.”
“Wow, there sure is a lot in the Bible about fish!” TJ replied.
“The first story is about trust, the second one is about God’s Provision, the third also, then the miracle of feeding the five thousand, that’s about miraculous Provision from God too. Then Jonah learns to obey God through the use of the big fish, Jesus provides their tax money, so that’s also provision, and the last one uses fish to illustrate salvation and our part in helping people get there. Aren’t Bible lesson cool?!”
“Yeah! And especially with you teaching me!” TJ replied.
“Well, I’m not a working, fishing Pastor for nothin’!” His dad shouted; making TJ laugh so hard he folded over; grabbing his stomach.
“I guess we can conclude the overall lesson the Bible teaches regarding fish all goes back to what I told you earlier, we need to cast our care, like the disciples did when they learned to trust Him, and like Jonah did when he learned to obey Him, and like Jesus illustrated through the feeding of the five thousand!”
“Yeah, right on Dad!” TJ exclaimed. “In all of these fishing Bible stories, we see the disciples…… and Jonah casting their care on the Lord…….Each of the stories you mentioned are good illustrations of that fact!”
“Yes exactly! Excellent TJ! And what great use of the word ‘illustrations!’
“Well thanks, but I learn everything I know from my dad…….the greatest Pastor in all the world, that is,” TJ replied, with a smile.
“Hahahaha! That’s nice of you to say……And did you know that the Bible actually does tell us to cast our care?
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your cares on Him, for He cares for you, that’s in 1Peter 5:6-7.” TJ’s dad told him.
“Well, that’s really cool actually. It all fits together and is so perfectly illustrated. God is there for us……We can cast our cares on Him. He is always faithful! Thanks Dad for always explaining all these things to me,” TJ replied.
“Ya know, your understanding is so advanced for your age that it makes me think that maybe you’ll be a Pastor one day like your old man, huh?”
“Well, I’m not sure yet, but t’s a strong possibility Dad!”
“Yes, it’s a strong possibility you have illustrated here this afternoon,” his dad replied, with a chuckle.
“Hahahaha,” they laughed together.
Then about a week later, TJ got up early one morning with a heavy heart.
‘Oh wow. Oh boy…… I hope I can be a great Pastor like my dad, otherwise I might confuse people, or cause them to stumble! But wait a minute. I just remembered what dad said last week at the lake that we all need to trust the Lord and ‘cast our care’ on Him, because He cares for us,’ he thought.
So, he turned his palms upward toward the ceiling, while still sitting in his bed and prayed: “Oh God please take this worry off my shoulders. I know worry solves nothing, and I know I can’t do anything without You either. Please take this cup from me, because I rely on YOU,” he prayed in a loud voice.
Then immediately he said to himself, 'Wow, I really did feel that weight lift off of me!' And he thanked God.
And it just so happened that his dad was walking past his room at that moment and heard his son’s prayer and saw his hands lifted up to the Lord.
“Oh, thank You God!” He quietly exclaimed to God and to himself.
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