Food for Thought
Trapping Lobsters
by David Churchill
Have
you caught any lobsters lately in conversation or Bible class?
For Maine fishermen, lobsters are
the most valuable items harvested from the sea. According
to a program I watched on the National Geographic Channel, lobster
fishing provides over a billion dollars annually to Maine fisherman,
shipbuilders, equipment and accessory providers, restaurants,
and other associated businesses.
The problem with fishing for lobsters
is that they are not a surface-dweller. They dont
swim on top of the water and they dont usually crawl up
on the beaches. They live on the ocean bottom, much deeper
than people can casually swim. Trying to catch them by
hook and line takes too much time for the few that are caught.
And most of the fisherman simply dont have the experience
or resources to use fancy diving equipment for catching these
prizes. So how do they do it?
Lobster fishermen catch lobsters
by trapping them. They build sturdy solid traps big enough
to hold grown lobsters, but with holes to let the baby lobsters
and other undesired sea creatures escape. Then the fishermen
lower the traps where lobsters are known to live and tie on floating
markers to identify where the traps lie below. Once a day,
the traps are hauled up, the contents sorted for what to keep
and what to return to the water, and the traps returned to the
depths for another days catch. One person with a
small boat and several traps can catch over 100 to 200 usable
lobsters each day.
As
thinking people seeking the spiritual truths of Gods Word,
Christians are a lot like these Maine fishermen seeking the oceans
lobsters. We sustain our spiritual livelihood by searching
for items of value. Harvesting these valuables requires
planning, preparation, and persistent effort on our part. And
we must somehow habitually think deeper than the shallow thinking
of the world around us.
How can we think so deeply that
we successfully lay our mental lobster traps to catch these spiritual
truths?
First, we must build those traps
-- sturdy and strong, yet with selective criteria so we catch
whats important. Paul writes in Philippians chapter
four that by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, we are
to make our requests known to God. He then continues by
saying,
whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever
things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are
lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue
and if there is anything praiseworthy meditate on these things.
The things which you
learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the
God of peace will be with you.
Second, we must lengthen our thinking
lines long enough to reach where our traps will catch the most
good. In 2 Peter 1:5-11, Peter writes, But also for this very
reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue,
to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control
perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly
kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.
He then goes on to explain why this is important, For if these things are
yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful
in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted,
even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from
his old sins. Therefore, brethren,
be even more diligent to make your call and election sure,
for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an
entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting
kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Third, we must lay these catching
traps where they will benefit us. Be diligent to present
yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and
idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. (2 Timothy 2:13-14) Therefore, whatever
you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the
Law and the Prophets. Enter by the narrow gate;
for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction,
and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the
gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there
are few who find it. Beware of false prophets,
who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous
wolves. You will know them by
their fruits. Do men gather grapes
from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree
bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor
can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does
not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will
know them.
(Matt. 7:12-20)
Fourth, we must regularly check
our mental lobster traps. Paul encourages Timothy, But you must continue
in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing
from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you
have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you
wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is given
by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the
man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good
work. (2
Tim. 3:14-17) The Hebrew writer words this thought
a little differently, And
let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good
works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together,
as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and
so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25) |