God, the Greatest Fisherman

 

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5–6 ESV).

 

While I am not an expert fly-fisherman, I am an enthusiast in the sport. The picture I’ve included today is from an excursion I took with some friends and my son, Kyle. It was a guided excursion in Tennessee for Rainbow Trout. My expectation was certainly exceeded greatly. On this cast I was able to hook and eventually land an 8-pound rainbow! It was quite exciting for a bit. For those of you who fish you know the excitement that can unfold when you hook a fish much bigger than one you planned for. An angler—that is, a person who fishes with a rod and line—typically uses the equipment they need for catching a particular kind of fish. To catch a medium-size fish (like a trout), for example, you need tackle for that size of fish. But sometimes with that gear you can hook a much larger fish than you planned for. And when that happens, chaos can break loose.

 

The reel of a fly rod is not designed to use “drag” like others. As the fish swims powerfully away, you must take care not to pressure the thin leader or it will snap. Usually, with such a large fish, you’ll have just two options: to let the fish run, and hopefully tire it out so that you can catch it; or simply to cut the line and let the fish go. A determined angler may decide to hold on, skillfully using the rod and line through a long tug of war and gradually reeling the fish in. I chose the latter.

 

In some ways our relationship with God can be like that. We might be thinking we are free to do as we please, but God can “hook us,” and even though we might try to outrun and overpower him, he will never cut the grace-line or count us as a lost cause. He’ll fight for us and battle with us—and when all is said and done, he gives us the freedom to live a new and full life that is far beyond our imagining!

 

That is why the writer of our reading today calls Him “our Helper… therefore we have nothing to fear!