Cold and blustery. Hardly anyone at Lake Ray Roberts. Five dollars for worms. Hooks snag in the underwater weeds. Worm guts under the fingernails.
Fish won’t bite. A hook pierces my thumb.
(Photo: by Túrelio, Creative Commons)
“Daddy, a stocked pond might be more fun,” I heard over my shoulder.
We fished with worms, hooks, and bobs while a nearby man cast a fishing lure with his rod. As we were leaving, this man caught a bass!
We caught nothing. Go figure. But his success got me to thinking.
I looked up the term “lure” in the Oxford American Dictionary and found the word “tempt” occurring in the definitions. The probable origin of the word “lure” stemmed from the German term, Luder, meaning, “bait.” Hmmm . . .
A Fish Hook Cuts Both Ways
The next morning I asked the family, “What does fishing teach us about Jesus’ statement: ‘I will make you fishers of men?’” Various answers shot back:
- “It’s hard work. It takes patience.”
- “Sometimes fish won’t bite.”
- “A lot of casting; not a lot of catches.”
- “Different bait works for different fish.”
- “It’s exciting when you catch one!”
Then we discussed another question: “What does fishing teach us about how Satan tempts us?”
- “Different bait works for different fish.”
- “The bait hides the hook.”
- “Quick satisfaction with long-term regret.”
- “Satan is patient.”
Two Life Lessons from Lures and Fishing
The lessons we caught from fishing were keepers. Here are two:
- Satan’s lures are designed to tempt us to destruction. Only if we are aware of the lure can we refuse to bite.
- God’s lures are us—that’s the quality of our lives and our words—and God uses us to draw others to Him.
Not bad for five bucks.
Can you think of some other lessons fishing can teach us? Please leave your comment.