Let’s Go Fishing

2 Corinthians 12:10

“Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

It's that time of year again when boats are coming out and being uncovered, fishing gear is taken out and getting ready to start the new fishing season. I’ve never really been one to go fishing. When we would be at the cabin up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, it seems that there was always someone out on the lake just waiting for the big one to hit their line. For one thing, I never even used to like to eat fish (I do now), let alone sit for hours in a boat. When my family would have huge fish fries, which always smelled so good, I would be eating mac and cheese out of the box. Sad, isn't it? Now looking back I sure missed out on a lot of good fish fries.

The other thing was that it seemed to me to be a sport as boring as watching paint dry. Just sitting there hour after hour watching a little string sitting in the water and hoping to catch something. And then there are the smelly, slimy fish themselves. I didn’t want any parts of the whole experience. Funny how your perspective of things changes as you get older. Sitting in a boat and just watching a string in the water somehow now sounds pretty restful and calming now. (Just the string – no hook or lure because I still have no desire to actually touch the slimy things.)

Our lake is a fairly small one and they would catch northern pike for the most part and sometimes they were pretty big. My brother Everett Wayne had a boat at that time and sometimes the guys would go out on Lake Superior and fish for lake trout and king salmon. Bigger fish.

The bigger the fish, the bigger or thicker the line that they had to use.

1 Peter 5:10

“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”

I think it is interesting that they call the line “test line.” What does that mean? Well, like I said I don’t know much about fishing except what I learned from watching my family fish. I learned that the stronger or thicker the test line, the bigger fish you could catch. The thin lines could never handle catching a big fish. The line would break under the pressure or stress put on the line.

James 1:12

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”

I believe that sometimes God puts trials into our lives to make “us” stronger. If we were put out in the middle of a tragic trial with only a small test line, we would certainly fail and our line would break under the stress. He lovingly builds our faith and our “spiritual strength” by guiding us and encouraging us to trust Him. And each time we trust Him and depend on His strength to see us through hard times, our strength builds and builds. Is it always easy? No! Does it sometimes hurt? Yes, but that is where our faith needs to grow. We need to read scripture to strengthen our walk and our trust in Him. As we do, we move up to the next size “test line”. Does God do these things in our lives because He doesn’t care? No, He does it to help us in those times when we find ourselves in the deep sea and waves are crashing all around us.

1 Peter 1:7

“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”

We can be confident, because we know that through the process of previous conflicts, trials, and hurts, we have grown stronger and now our “spiritual test line” is strong and can withstand the stormy waters. Trust Him today. Don’t look at the struggles that you are going through as God turning His back on you, but lovingly making you stronger.

How strong is your test line?

2 Corinthians 12:9

“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”