God, the Determined Angler
Scripture Reading — Hebrews 13:5-6
“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.”
A fly-fishing enthusiast can tell you about all 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 (like a salmon). And when that happens, chaos can break loose.
The reel will spin furiously, unloading the line as the large fish swims powerfully away. Then panic can set in because you don’t want to lose your expensive tackle, let alone the fish. Usually then 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.
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!
Lord, thank you for not cutting us off or counting us out. Reel us in by your wonderful gift of grace and help us share it with others. Amen.
About the author — Ben McKnight
Ben McKnight was born and raised in the West Michigan area. He has been married to Kayla for 14 years and has been a dad to Leo for almost five years. After graduating from Calvin Theological Seminary in 2017, he served as a pastor in Grant, Michigan, until spring 2021. He then served as a chaplain for a year at a local retirement community, and then with ReFrame Ministries’ advancement team. In spring 2024 he transitioned and began serving as the pastor of a church in Cedar Springs, Michigan.
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