This Is A Crappie Devotion!
Hi Faith Family,
Just had a nice fish dinner. The crappies were quite delicious, thanks to some help from an insider family recipe (if you text me, I’ll send you the recipe). The crappies were a gift from a friend. She and her husband go fishing out at C.J. Strike outside of Mountain Home, ID. They usually go at night during the summer. They fish all night, with varying degrees of success. Sometimes they’ll come back with just a handful, sometimes a whole mess of fish, and I use that term correctly. On several occasions, they came back with 50 fish. I was blown out of the water when she let me know that the previous night they caught 200 fish! Straight from the dam or shore, all those fish when many other fishermen and fisherwomen have a token crappie in their take-home pail.
You really need to know what you are doing out there. You really need to know your fish. You may have had it up to the gills with all my crappie talk. And by now, my introduction may be smelling a little fishy to you. You are right.
Ever since Day 5, fish have been eluding humans. They are an amazing creation of God. I have another friend with a fish finder. It recognizes the different sizes of air bladders in the fish to alert him where the fish are. But he still can’t catch ‘em. Sure, many fish eat their young, but you have to give it up for our famous finned friends. Let’s see you hold your breath for that long, ya mouth-breather!
So, have you loaded up on your Omega-3 fish oil? Are you wise in the way of the creatures of the deep? Have you been judged on the scales of fish-wisdom and been found lacking? If your fish smarts couldn’t fill a caviar cup, you’ll have all the more respect for the Professor of the scaly wonders filling the world’s water sources. I’m talking about the King of Salmon, the Prince of Perch, the Sultan of Sole: Sol. You may know him by his full name: Solomon.
Oh, sure you knew Sol was sharp as coral, but did you know he could school ‘ya as far as fish are concerned? Check out First Kings Four:
30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men
of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.
31 He was wiser than any other man, including Ethan the Ezrahite—
wiser than Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol.
And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations.
32 He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered
a thousand and five.
33 He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop
that grows out of walls. He also taught about animals and birds,
reptiles and fish.
34 Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom,
sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.
Heavenly knowledge of fish—wouldn’t you have loved to listen to a Solomon lesson on salmon? Makes you wonder what else we’re missing, doesn’t it? Solomon was in a unique situation, receiving a special gift of wisdom from God. But how often have you prayed for wisdom? James reminds us that we don’t have because we don’t ask God. With all the marvelous creation just outside our front doors, God bless us with a deepened sense of awe and wonder at God’s wisdom and power in creation. God bless us with greater wisdom of all this world he has created for us.
As we ask for greater wisdom, I suggest we angle for spiritual wisdom most of all: a deeper understanding of God’s act of hurling our sin into the depths of the sea. We can ask to land a fuller comprehension of what it means that Jesus is our source of living water. Whoever believes in Jesus, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. God bless you in the understanding of all Jesus has done for you to assure you of forgiveness and God’s love. God bless you in Christ Jesus,who has become for us wisdom from God— that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
Prayer idea: that of the Apostle Paul from Ephesians--“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
Have a crappie week!
--Pastor Dan