Fishing With Who?!

I love to fish. I mean I really love to fish. Sometimes I go alone, and sometimes with a buddy of mine. But I would never dream of going fishing with Satan. What the? When I go fishing by myself, I stand in the river looking at all of God's creation and get sucked in to a one on one time with my Creator, Friend, King, Savior etc. It's an awesome time of reflection and bewilderment at the same time. Reflection on how mighty and awesome He really is! Bewilderment in the fact that I can't even come close to understanding Him. Why so much grace for a wretch like me? Hard to fathom and understand, but then again trying to figure out God is like trying to do a Rubik's cube blindfolded with one hand. But fishing with my God is an awesome thing. It's real, it's authentic, and it's meaningful.

TO FISH: When you go fishing you are trying to trick the fish or fool them into something that is not what it seems. You are "deceiving" them.

So fishing with Satan? Satan is a great fisherman. Probably the best. He knows just what bait to use for each and every one of us, and most of us can't refuse it. Once we bite down, it's hard to break free. We nibble at the bait he's tempted us with. Satan is the master deceiver, and gives us counterfeit bait i.e. love, significance, and security to name a few. These tempting baited hooks take the form of money, porn, toys, power etc. We bite down hard, and the hook sinks in deep. Quite often, once the hook is set, he reels us in and lands us.

We can avoid being hooked by knowing what kind of "bait" he is using. We do this by knowing what is real and what is not. We do this by enhancing our relationship with the real fisher of men -Jesus Christ. If we do not invite Jesus to take complete control of our lives, we will be deceived, and we will take the bait. Know the truth. Know Jesus. - Steve Coats