No Fishing Allowed, April 25
Daily Reflections from Inside the Cancer Journey
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Written by Thomas Sherrod
“You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19b NKJV).
Have you ever sat on the beach under an umbrella in the hot sun, and looked out to the horizon? Approximately 71% of the earth is covered by water! The depths of the ocean are beyond our imagination. I watch the National Geographic Channel and see creatures I did not know existed! Since the advent of the movie Jaws, I am a lot more reluctant to swim too deep into the ocean. Who knows what is out there?
Our scripture paints a wonderful picture of what God does with our sins. In today’s verse, the prophet Micah gives us the image of God casting or hurling all our sins into the depths of the sea! All our sins are tossed into the abyss of the ocean, never to be seen again. For God, all our sins are gone and forgotten when we turn to Him. But the devil likes to dredge up our sins and remind us of our failures. We’re all susceptible. After all, no one lives a perfect life.
Sometimes while going through cancer treatment, you may have time to think and reminisce about your life. You may celebrate blessings and God’s victories. Regrets may come to your mind. Sometimes past failures seem to expand, the more we think about them.
At these times, Christian author Corrie ten Boom would tell you to stop fishing! She would explain that God casts our sins into the depths of the sea and plants a sign on the beach saying, “NO FISHING ALLOWED!” (Tramp for the Lord, 1974) God does not want you to drag up old, long-forgotten sins that He washed away years ago. You may blame yourself for having cancer. You may think God is punishing you for some past sin. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Don’t let the memories of past regrets block you from fully experiencing the depths of God’s love. One of my favorite scriptures that reminds me of the true heart of God states, “‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived’—the things God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV).
May you catch the vision of all your sins being hurled into the depths of the ocean, and may you know the depths of God’s eternal love for you. Remember this: as deep as the ocean is, God’s love for you is infinitely deeper!
Pray: Lord, fill our hearts with the joy of Your forgiving love for us! May the depths of the ocean remind us of Your unfathomable love for us. May You help us obey the sign, “NO FISHING ALLOWED.” Amen.
Your Turn: Take a moment and ask God to bring to mind the image of all your sins being cast into the vast ocean of His eternal forgiveness. Breathe in the sweetness of His all-powerful forgiveness.
Thomas Sherrod, Cancer Survivor
Tom is a retired hospital chaplain who works part time for Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Health System in North Carolina. He organized and facilitated a cancer support group for twenty years as part of his hospital ministry. He is married for forty-four years and enjoys his three daughters, two sons-in-law, and five grandchildren. He is a recent survivor of prostate cancer and is immensely thankful for all of God's grace and provisions through it all.
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