This past summer, though, we did something different. We went out on a fishing charter! We drove to the Branson, Missouri, area and booked a charter on Table Rock Lake. Just like in our past fishing experiences, we had a master fisherman to guide us who provided all of the tools, equipment, bait and knowledge we needed. But there was one huge difference, and it was evident as soon as we climbed into his boat—computer screens! Ohhh yeah. This guy was another level of serious. He had one screen that tracked his boat’s movement on the lake, showing the routes he’s traveled throughout the past days and weeks. Then, he had screens that showed the bottom of the lake. The most helpful screen of all was at the front of the boat, where we would drop our lines. It was a fancy fish-finder! You could see your own line/hook, and you could see the fish swimming around it. So if a fish was coming, you could literally move your worm toward the fish. Whoa.

As you might already be guessing, our success rate increased exponentially. For these super casual fisherpeople who were used to camping out for an entire Saturday afternoon/evening and typically reeling in a bunch of bluegills and 2-3 decent bass or catfish, this was an entirely different playing field. I kid you not, the first big bass was brought in within 5-10 minutes of dropping our lines. And that was just the beginning! We were only out on the water for about three hours, but we brought in around 20 good-sized fish. 

In the midst of our time on the water, we called our fishing tutor from Lincoln, who’s taught us everything we know. We told him we were out on a boat bringing in bass, and, of course, we excitedly told him about these fancy computer screens that were increasing our productivity level so dramatically. He said, That’s cheating! …to which our fishing charter guide said, Well, I suppose it kinda is cheating, but I figure that if the fish can see me, I should be able to see them, too.

As I thought about how the fish-finder basically eliminated the guesswork involved in our fishing expedition, I started thinking about how grateful I am that I don’t have to guess about God. I don’t have to try and figure out how He might respond to something or what kind of mood He’ll be in from day to day. I have my very own “fish-finder” that shows and tells me exactly what I need to know about God—the Bible! There’s literally no uncertainty involved when it comes to the character of our Almighty God. When you search and study the pages of Scripture, you will find God. You’ll learn who He is, what He does, and how He is motivated. You’ll learn about all of His attributes, which he displays with perfection. 

For example, here are just a few things we learn about God from the Bible:

• He is faithful. Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. -Deuteronomy 7:9
• He is a strong defender. The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. -Exodus 15:2
• He is unchanging. I the Lord do not change. -Malachi 3:6a
• He is good. Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. -Psalm 25:8
• He is holy and eternal. Day and night they never stop saying: “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.” -Revelation 4:8b
• He is compassionate and forgiving. “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” -Exodus 34:6-7
• He is merciful. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. -1 Peter 1:3
• He is righteous. The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does. -Psalm 145:17

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. You don’t have to guess when it comes to God, and you definitely don’t need any “God-finder” equipment. Well, I suppose you could consider the Bible itself to be a “God-finder!” It tells you everything you need to know about Him, plain as day. 

Honestly, when it comes to fishing, I enjoy both ways. I love the slow pace and unpredictability of fishing from the bank of a lake. There’s a certain unmatched excitement when it comes to bringing in a fish without already knowing that it was swimming toward your worm. But I loved the fun and the technique involved when using the fish-finder equipment, too. (And it certainly didn’t hurt that we were practically guaranteed to have the satisfaction of catching a bunch of fish.) 

With God, though, I’d definitely prefer NOT to have to guess about who He is, how He acts, what motivates Him, how He feels about me, and the nature of His character. Although that might be fun when you’re fishing from the edge of a lake, the element of uncertainty doesn’t sound as fun when it comes to the all-powerful God of the universe. Right? If I was constantly wondering about God’s character and how it might manifest in any given situation, I can only imagine the anxiety, stress, unrest and fear that would surely take over my heart and mind. 

Scripture is our cheat code. Do you look for God when you read the Bible? Just like we looked for fish on the fish-finder, you can look for God in His Holy Word. You don’t need to step gingerly around Him, uncertain of how He will act. Rather, you can know for sure. No guesswork involved. God’s character is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Open the pages of the Word, and look earnestly for Him. See what you can learn about who He is. The words of Scripture are right there waiting for you, ready to tell you everything you need to know about God. What an incredible gift!