reeling the fish in

A few days ago someone was speaking to me about fishing.

I can't for the life of me think just who it was, or even what the context was. I think it was maybe in the course of visiting folk in connection with a funeral.

Everything about it's a blur (I have little interest in fishing). Except I remember distinctly (and it stuck in my mind) the person explaining how he (or probably she) had been told that when, once you've thrown out your line, you feel the fish start to 'nibble', then you should pull on it hard and reel the fish in.

That's all I remember about that part of the conversation. As I say, fishing's not my forte. But that bit stuck in my mind for some reason.

Stick with me and you'll see why I'm telling you this!

Today I was out for lunch with some of the local leaders of different churches. Once most of them had gone, I ended up having a time of prayer with Douglas, who was hosting the thing, and with Clive - who'd come along at the end, specifically for a time of prayer.

Clive used to work here, a good while back, and presently works for UCCF in Edinburgh. He often pops in and uses one of the rooms in our halls as a quiet place to work. I've a lot of time for the guy. He and Douglas and I have really benefited much from time in prayer together before.

We were praying for a while. And as we prayed, Clive comes out with this -

He's been given a 'picture' as he prays, and he's recognising before the Lord what the picture is: it's the picture of a fisherman, who's feeling a nibble at the end of his line, and while I'm still getting over my total surprise, Clive's praying for me.

He knows that the picture's been given for me and he's praying the Lord would enable me now to be seeing there are all these 'nibbles' (interest on the part of different folk, folk just taking a taste, as it were), and to be able boldly to pull on the line and reel them in.

That's twice in a matter of days. The same picture. The same lesson. And spelled out quite plainly by Clive, who knew nothing at all of what had gone on before.

My instinct has always, I think, been to go very 'softly, softly' with those who are showing some interest in the gospel. To give the fish some slack, as it were, in terms of the fishing analogy.

And here, it seemed, was the Lord saying very clearly that that's not how it works. And not how he means me to be.

It was like he was urging me to be a good deal bolder, firmer, more direct, in summoning folk to Christ. To 'reel' folk in.

These are days of some urgency. That's for sure.

And these times of prayer that we share are times when the Lord draws near in a powerful, personal way.

Scary in a way. But altogether thrilling, too.