Fishers of Men

Our Lord said, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." It is evident, then, that a true disciple is a soul-winner. It is possible to sit on the shore discussing the signs of the times when we ought to be driven by the signs of the times to launch out into the deep and let down our nets for a draught.  Vance Havner

Summertime always brings back memories for me of fishing with my grandpa or family outings.  Those are special memories for me because of the time I was able to spend with family and the great outdoors. 

When my grandpa taught me how to fish part of the lesson was how to bait your hook and remove the fish from the line.  If you are a non-fisherman, you may not know that a fish will raise its fins and flop around a lot when it is taken out of the water.  I guess if I was a fish that lived in water and someone dangled a worm in front of me for dinner and I took the bait; it would be kind of startling to be jerked out of the water.  I’m thinking I would flop around a lot too. 

Anyway, there is a technique to taking the fish off the hook.  You hold the fish up and gently slide your hand over its head and then slide your hand over its fins to keep the fin from sticking into your hand.  Sometimes the fish would flop and wiggle so much that it would come off the hook on its own and then you were left trying to catch a flopping fish in the bottom of the boat. 

Sometimes we are very much like the flopping fish in the bottom of the boat.  We often don’t want to change our life or be different for God so we fight it just like the fish.  The same thing happens when we cast out to be a soul winner.  You try to show others why coming to know Christ is important.  You cast your line and pray for a bite.  Fishing is the sport of patience.  If you have ever sat for several hours watching a cork, you know what I am talking about.  It is the same with being a fisher of men.  If we get distracted or impatient we will never draw anyone to the Lord. 

My husband is a different type of fisherman.  He is a catch and release fisherman.  You patiently flip a fake bait into the water and slowly real it in.  In his type of fishing you don’t have a cork to watch to see if a fish is on the line; you feel the line for vibration.

It doesn’t matter what type of fisherman you are, God can use both and make them fishers of men.  Both will require patience, wisdom, knowledge, skill and most of all God’s presence.  

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I love to fish. There is a certain peacefulness about the process of fishing.  I can have the same peacefulness in the pursuit of others for Christ.  You are the one who gives me the strength and perseverance to patiently wait for the right opportunity and when it comes You will give me the words to say.  Help me to not hesitate when those opportunities come along. 

Scripture: Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.

Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. Colossians 4:2-6