During a fishing trip in New Zealand with my companions Gary and Mark, I learned a valuable lesson about relying on God’s strength. Airlifted to a remote area, I was excited to fish the same untarnished stream I’d fished with great success the year before. I had caught and released a beautiful 9-pound German Brown trout within my first dozen casts. I hoped we might run into some of his cousins and introduce them to some of my favorite flies and Panther Martin spinners on this trip. It was not to be, though. The dry algae and moss on the rocks testified to the creek’s rapidly dropping water level. Coupled with the full moon, each cast into the crystal-clear water produced more disappointment.
One morning, as we walked miles downstream, hopping from rock to rock and fishing the larger pools, my foot slipped, throwing my body forward. Despite a wading staff and some good shoes, the wet soles had made the dried moss a real hazard. My knee came down hard on a jagged rock; I knew I was in trouble. The piercing pain shot up my leg, immediately taking my attention off my damaged hand, wrist, and equipment.
Mark and Gary were at my side within seconds, but the swollen area and pain were fast indicators that I was finished for the day. It was decided they would return to camp and wait for the helicopter that was due later that day. They built a fire, left me some granola bars, and set off for camp. It would be 6-7 hours before help would arrive, and I wondered how I would manage if I went into shock or developed other complications.
Minutes seemed like hours and hours like days. My only comfort was from knowing that God was in control. King David’s words came to mind: “Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14). Waiting is difficult for most of us, and yet that is the very thing God tells us to do – wait on Him and pray. A heart-to-heart conversation with the Almighty puts life into balance. “Therefore, I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted to you” (Mark 11:24). So I prayed and waited.
Gazing into the sky, I saw birds soaring with the wind currents. At first, I thought they were vultures readying for my demise, but then I realized they were messengers from God, reminding me to trust Him. I rested in Isaiah’s words of God’s faithfulness: “He gives strength to the weary, and to the one who lacks might He increases power… Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weary” (Isaiah 40:29, 31).
By the time the helicopter arrived, I had a great peace about my circumstance, and within days of my evacuation, I was miraculously once again walking the banks of another quiet stream.
I learned a great deal from that fall. I learned that the problem shouldn’t dictate our behavior, but rather, how we choose to react to our dilemma. I learned when we choose to trust in God, we receive His strength, and in the still, quiet times, we experience His presence and power.
Scripture Reading: Psalm 46:1-11
Personal Application: What problems are you facing today? Have you taken time to really listen to God and feel His presence? His grace is sufficient, and His strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). The world is full of slippery rocks, so the next time you fall, look up to Him who is able.
Jim Grassi, D. Min.
We cherish any verse in Scripture that reminds us to keep focused and intentional about evangelism and discipleship. “But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” 2 Timothy 4:5