It’s Nearly Time to go Fishing
A while ago some of the men at the workshop were engaged in offering their wisdom on fishing, it seems the blokes that have gnarly hands from working with all types of timber also enjoy the feel of hooks, lines, sinkers and fish bait, but most of all the bent rod.
I know you can go fishing anytime but there is a difference between just wetting your line and actually taking some fish home. It’s nearly time because the water temperatures are getting warmer which encourages the fish to come into the Harbours and come closer to the shore so the little fisher people can experience the thrill of the tug on the line.
My first experience was a trip to Matakawau on the Awhitu side of the Manukau Harbour, back then there was only a few tents at the end of the road and from the top of the small cliff you could see fish moving in the clear water and once you scrambled down to the beach you could see hundreds of flounder just lying on the sand, the local campers had some great feeds after going spearing at nighttime.
But the greatest event came when dad threw out his green handline for me to hold and shortly after I caught a large Kahawai, being my first fish I thought it was my duty to alert all the campsites to this wonderful news as I ran back yelling my lungs out to tell mum and the rest of the world about this amazing event.
Time has rolled on, but I still enjoy feeling the big tug on the line that tells me there is something on the other end that is worth taking home.
Talking about catching good sized fish to take home, I was just reading from the gospel of Luke chapter five where Jesus had borrowed a boat to sit in and teach from and afterwards, He said to, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5. But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless, at Your word I will let down the net.” 6. And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7. So, they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.
Simon said, “we have toiled all night and caught nothing.” How many of us would have continued to protest and say, “We are tired and just spent seven or more hours out there and didn’t catch a single fish so what is the use of going out again, and perhaps would have continued with some other excuses, but Simon must be given credit for his attitude as he checked himself and continued by saying, “nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”
Wouldn’t this world be so much a better place if we took notice of what Jesus said and put it into action straight away, so many times it is recorded in the Scriptures that Jesus gave such good advice, but we are so slow to learn and do what He says. Most people will have an excuse why they do not accept His words and follow Him. Some may admit that his teachings are to be admired and are good council but still hold to their own opinion.
The challenge is not usually an intellectual one but rather a moral one in which our pet habits come into conflict with Christ’s standards and usually cause us to pull back and rely on our own wisdom rather than God’s word.
Proverbs 14: 12. There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
It seems that life keeps playing the same record over and over where mankind comes into contact with the wisdom of the Almighty that will give us abundant life and a clear pathway to travel on, but instead of taking advise from God’s word we plan and scheme with our own abilities and pursue our own path.
Psalm 111: 10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all those who do His commandments.
Proverbs 3: 5. Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not on your own understanding. 6. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
These are God’s promises to us, the promises of a loving Father who knows us through and through and wants the very best for His children, they are a challenge to all mankind and have been down through the centuries.
Speaking of the disciples and fishing, you will notice in the gospel of John 21: 3-13. That on another occasion the disciples spent the night fishing from a boat, and come morning had caught nothing, then a stranger on the shore asks “have you caught anything” they answered No! The stranger being Jesus said to cast the net on the right side of the ship, which they did without argument and struggled to pull it up because of so many fish. Perhaps they still had the memory of a similar time when they were instructed to try once more and thought let’s just do it anyway, they were learning fast.
Ultimately, they all went ashore where Jesus had a fire going and had fish and bread baking on it and said, “Come and dine.”
Jesus was leaving us with the example that whatever our circumstances may be, He is always one step ahead and knows our need, you can imagine how welcome it must have been for those tired and wet fishermen to come ashore and to be invited to a nice warm fire and cooked fish for breakfast.
I have no doubt that Jesus could have caused a few fish to jump into the boat so there was enough for breakfast, but He didn’t, He wanted them to do the hard yards to get their catch ashore, life doesn’t get easier because you know Jesus, we still have our daily toil and responsibility, Christians don’t get a free ride in life, our blessings are in knowing Jesus as our salvation and security in this life and our eternal blessings and inheritance in eternity.
Well, it’s nice to talk about fishing and even better to catch some so after we close the workshop I am going to attend to some new traces and hooks as I noticed some of the traces have signs of chaffing on the nylon and some of the hooks have lost the edge of sharpness. As the old saying goes, you can have the best bait in the world but if you neglect your gear, you may go home with an empty chilly bin.
It reminds me of a Scripture in Hebrews 2: 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first was spoken to us by Jesus, and was confirmed to us by them that heard Him.
Neglect is as bad as reject.
Don’t neglect your fishing gear, but most of all don’t neglect your soul and eternity.
May your line be tight and your soul secure in Jesus.
