Worth the Effort

Bible Reading: Psalm 42:11; John 14:27; Philippians 4:6-7

Aaron and Aria, along with their father, watched a fisherman on the pier carefully arrange his big

green net. Then he made a sudden motion, and the

net glided out over the Gulf of Mexico.

“That’s quite a skill you have there,” Dad told the fisherman.

The man chuckled as he pulled the dripping net back in. “Casting a net takes a lot of practice, but the mullet fish I’m after taste so good, it’s worth taking the trouble to learn how to do it.”

Aaron, Aria, and Dad watched a little longer, then continued their walk along the sparkling Gulf. “I wish Mom could come walking with us,” said Aria sadly. Mom had not been well for some months and had stayed at the motel to rest.

“When will Mom get better, Dad?” asked Aaron as they walked along.

Dad put an arm around each of the children and held them close. “I don’t know—and the doctors don’t either. But I know something we can do.”

“What can we do?” asked Aria eagerly.

“Seeing that fisherman cast his net out over the water reminded me of a different kind of casting—the kind we need to do,” Dad replied. “Psalm 55:22 says, ‘Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you.’ So we need to keep praying for Mom, and then we need to give our worries to Jesus.”

“I try to do that,” said Aaron, “but it seems like it’s taking so long for Mom to get better, and I can’t help worrying.”

“I know, but don’t give up,” said Dad. “That fisherman had to practice casting the net, but he kept at it because he knew the prize—the fish he would catch—was worth the effort. And we need to practice casting our troubles onto Jesus. It’s also worth the effort. We’re His children and can go to Him as often as necessary.”

“So if we start to worry after we pray, we should pray again?” Aria asked.

“That’s right,” said Dad. “And as we learn to trust Him and cast our troubles far away from ourselves and onto Him, He has a prize for us too. He gives us His wonderful peace that only His children can know. So keep practicing, okay?”

Silently, Aria and Aaron nodded.

-Carolyn E. Yost

How About You?

After you pray about something, do you stop worrying about it? Or do you hang on to your troubles? God doesn’t want you to worry. So if the worry doesn’t go away—or if it comes back—take it to Jesus again. Tell Him about it as often as necessary, and trust Him to help you. He loves you, and He understands what is troubling you. He can handle any situation.

Today’s Key Verse:
1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. (NKJV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Cast your cares on Jesus