Preparing a “fish” for the table:
Remember that old hit song by the Beach Boys? “Let’s go surfin’ now, everybody’s learning how, come on and safari with me!”
Excellente! Now hold that thought. We’ve been using the analogy of fish and fishing to describe our relationship with Christ: first, we swim into His net, just as we are (a bit fishy); afterwards, Christ begins to clean us like a fisherman cleans his prize catch.
How Does He prepare a “fish”? Step 1: Wash it (“Something Fishy”); Step 2: Cut off the head! (Part 1: “Cleaning Fish” and Part 2: “A Fish Out of Water”); Step 3: Get rid of the tail!
Step 3: Get Rid of the Tail! (Part 2: “Surfin’ Safari!”)
A fish’s tail performs two very important tasks: it propels and steers, allowing our finny friends to swim wherever they wish. We, too, have something that enables us to go wherever we want, whenever we want, to do whatever we want. It’s called the free will. It’s a nice little trait God created in us, because He wanted us to have the freedom to make our own choices. Only one problem: when we start calling the shots, when we do things our way, we generally make a royal mess of it! That’s why God hopes we’ll get rid of the “tail” by making a conscious effort to surrender our will and choose to do His will; to do the things He wants, not the things you want; to swim with God, not away from Him!
Swimming with God is just like going on a Surfin’ Safari! Seriously! First, there’s always a leader in these ventures, and yup, you guessed it, that would be Jesus Christ.
Second, what’s a safari without a map? Not to worry, we got one of those, too; and it outlines all the best spots for our adventure and shows us exactly how to get there. Our map is the Word of God: “Your Word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105 NASB) Precisely what a good map should be! In fact, the Bible teaches us how to navigate the often treacherous waters of life; to steer away from the shallows and avoid running aground.
But even with the best map in hand, it’s still comforting to have a savvy, resourceful guide along with us. So, thirdly, we’ve contracted with the world’s greatest safari guide — the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised us that “the Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things….” (John 14:26 King James 2000) and
“will guide you into all truth.” (John 16:13 NLT)
Why not start swimming with Christ today? Pull out God’s navigational charts and start listening to the Holy Guide. “Come on and safari with me!”
Join us tomorrow for the conclusion: “You’ve Got Guts”!