Taking the Bait

Today’s musings grew out of a fly fishing trip I was on recently. As I stood on the bank of a river in the Sierras casting my line, it struck me how much we have in common with the very trout I was attempting to capture. The brightly colored artificial flies we employ in such an activity provide a thought provoking metaphor to the counterfeit lures in our own lives which so easily ensnare us in the nets of temptation. Any man or woman who is serious about living a righteous and honorable life, and staying true to their faith, ought carefully to consider the subject of temptation, and fishing promises to offer some valuable insights thereto. Temptation begins with natural and often necessary desires. All living things eat and reproduce and it is inherent in their nature to do so, just as it was for the trout who were my chosen quarry and inspiration for this line of thinking. As humans, we have those same basic desires, compounded exponentially by our more complicated lives and innumerable opportunities. However, let’s keep it simple for now. The fly fisherman uses a fly constructed from thread and feathers to emulate an actual insect. He then completes the illusion by employing a rod and line to deliver the fly to the fish in such a way as to make it appear and act as natural and appetizing as possible. Of course, the goal of all this deception is to deliver a hook to the hungry fish, so as to facilitate its eventual demise. And so it goes in the realm of human temptation as well. The angler, the quarry and the bait have all been upgraded, but the game remains the same … and the stakes are significantly higher.

As we swim through our own daily lives, we are bombarded by a steady stream of temptations, each constructed and delivered with a cunning which more than rivals the most` gifted of human anglers. In this crazy modern world of advanced technology, media and illusion we can scarcely be too careful about what bait we are willing to take, and wise is the person who steps carefully through the choices available in the seemingly endless labyrinth of options and opportunities. They may look like food, love, power, beauty or security. They may promise to satisfy. But you can bet that, more often than not, there’s a hook in them. I daresay some folks will take offense at being compared to a fish. My only response to them is, well, to compare them to ostriches. Any way you slice it there’s something fishy going on and I beg you to heed my words if you don’t want to end up in the proverbial, or perhaps literal, frying pan.

I hope and pray that you may choose wisely as you swim through the waters of life.

Taking the Bait
Casting in the quiet waters of a mountain stream today
I got to thinking on the devil, and how he has a way
Of selecting just the perfect fly to offer each of us
And how skillfully he throws his line so as not to shake our trust
He knows our every weakness, and the perfect time of day
To dangle his temptations and let them drift our way
Is it power? Is it money? Is it sex that we desire?
Satan has the perfect counterfeit, any angler would admire
And he doesn’t throw them at us, merely lets them float nearby
So we can see how beautiful they are and warm up to the lie
As we fantasize about them, well beyond the second look
And even once we take the bait, he doesn’t set the hook
Until it’s good and swallowed, buried deep within our hearts
Then he slowly tightens up the line and the real battle starts
Even if we extricate ourselves from sin that day
There is always damage from the hook inflicted on the way
Then Satan merely changes flies, ties on another sin
Casting more skillfully than ever, and the game begins again
Like foolish fish we play our part, and some folks never learn
They wind up in the frying pan and know what it is to burn
So as we swim through life today, we must be vigilant and wise
Lest we fall prey to the evil one … by striking on his flies
By Frank Carpenter ©