One of my favorite pastimes is fishing. I’m not one for the adventure of throwing a lure into the ocean nor do I favor angling in distant and remote places. Rather, I prefer resting on the bank of a local pond, close to and within walking distance from home, meditating on life and dreaming of catching the “big one.”
I look back on those treasured moments when I fished with my sons and now find myself seeking the same memories with my grandchildren. There is something very special about spending time with the young and watching their excitement and anticipation as the line is cast and the inevitable wait begins for the first nibble.
Every so often grandpa would look over at one of his cherubs and see silent tears rolling down an innocent cheek or hear the muffled cry of the disheartened. They needed someone to untangle the knotted line wrapped in complete disarray around the now useless fishing pole. Grandpa to the rescue! I have spent more than a few hours unraveling and threading while at the same time testing the inner patience of this grateful nostalgic. I have even been known to release sharpened hooks from the coat sleeves of more than one youthful angler.
God encourages us through His Word to untangle our lives filled with sinful clutter from our past and ungodly decisions of the present.
“For everything that was written in the past
was written to teach us,
so that through endurance and encouragement of the Scriptures
we might have hope.”
Romans 15:4
Hope in a trusting relationship with our God, and His son, Jesus Christ. Hope for our ultimate salvation and hope for the eternal and heavenly existence. These are the promises made by the Father to His children giving them a life overflowing with assurance and brimming with rewards. They are spoken in love and must be accepted by faith.
As is my custom, I always release my catch before heading home, including the big one.
I Trust the Fisher of souls to not catch and throw me back.
Matthew 4:19
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