Fishers of Men

“Esperanza! Esperanza!” (“Hope, Hope!”) The deckhands aboard a fishing charter on the Sea of Cortez were excitedly yelling as our daughter Hope prepared to reel in a gargantuan blue marlin after having had no previous bites on our all-day excursion. Catch and release marlin fishing is one of the most exciting challenges facing anglers because of their size, strength, and speed. They strapped our daughter into a “fighting chair”, and the long 45-minute ensuing tug of war began as Hope tried to keep the line tight to bring in the marlin. She reeled in the 200-pound marlin with great determination and courage, and we were all amazed by the incredible catch.

In a sense, humans are like fishes being reeled in. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The Lord comes with the gospel net, and he takes us in and delivers us from the love of sin. In today’s scripture Jesus says, “Follow me,” and as believers, we must have faith and live our lives with intentional purposes for God’s eternal kingdom. As followers of Jesus, we are called to share the gospel's good news because God intends everyone to experience the unsurpassed joy of knowing him as their personal Savior.

As Christians, we must adopt the characteristics of fishermen by having compassion for lost souls and the courage to cast our nets. Leading someone to Christ is one of the most incredible experiences for a Christian. We should not become frustrated or apathetic when someone rejects the truth or if it takes years to witness the spiritual thrill of leading someone personally to Jesus Christ.

Charles Spurgeon once stated, “At Jesus’ feet, we must learn the art and mystery of soul-winning: to live with Christ is the best education for usefulness.” (The Spurgeon Center). Let us get out and share the good news of Christ with others and be used as disciples to grow the kingdom of God. Christ caught us, and now we should aim to catch others.

Dear Lord, sharing the gospel can sometimes be a challenge for me. I ask you to help me to know to whom to witness and when. Open my eyes to the needs of those around me and open my heart to share your message of love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Today’s Challenge: As God opens your eyes to the people around you, start a spiritual conversation. This short article may give you some good ideas about ways to do that. https://thelife.com/start-a-spiritual-conversation