And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
- 2 Cor 11:14
The fish sees the shimmering lure, fat and juicy, spinning though the water, ready to be consumed.
The fish chases the lure as if it is the only meal available. Now mesmerised, the fish pursues it. It doesn’t see left or right any more; neither does it sense the usual dangers. It has one pursuit, one objective — to get the lure. At this moment nothing else matters, unlike just a few minutes ago before it saw the lure.
Finally, a few centimetres from the lure, the fish puts in a burst of energy, oblivious to anything else, opens the mouth, and bites on the prize. Right then, reality strikes the fish as it feels the hook penetrating its mouth. It is helpless to escape as it violently shakes its head, trying to gain release.
The fisher feels the fish and starts reeling it in, slowly, to ensure it is not lost or escapes. The fish feels the tension — consistent, unrelenting — as it is finally drawn up over the side of the boat. The hook is released, but too late for escape now.
The fisher holds up the fish for a few seconds to observe the prize, and then, with the rest of the catch, it is dropped in a bucket to die.
In Thomas Brooks, Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices, there is a very sobering line: “Satan presents the bait and hides the hook.”
As we read this, we run our tongues against the roof of our mouth and feel where the hook has previously buried itself as we have bitten on some bait over time, and probably more the once!
In this verse, the Lord alerts us to the angel of light.
Like Jesus, Satan is also a fisherman of souls, and makes a shimmering lure. That lure is designed for one purpose, to destroy anybody that bites it.
We are called to a divine purpose, but all along our way, there are lures designed and waiting, shimmering to attract us. Each one with a cunning hidden hook from which we may find it very difficult to obtain release.
Today’s Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for highlighting the false light of the enemy. Please help me identify the lures that seem so attractive to me before I bite. Please strengthen me to resist the temptation to bite on them, hooking myself to the fishing line that may not let me go.
Comentarios