“And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.” Mark 1:17
Most people, sometime in their life, have gone fishing. Usually, the urge to fish strikes when one is young. As a kid, I fished with homemade poles and string that floated, and cane poles, and at the last, I finally managed to acquire a rod and reel (which I still have). As a teenager, I built a boat, and Dad and I strung fishing lines across the Licking River, which joined our farm.
No one starts out as a master fisherman. At first, one may find themselves awkward and ill-equipped. And, often, one goes home empty handed. But if one is determined to catch fish, over time and putting forth one’s persistent effort, the methods and means that work are learned. There is much to learn: where the fish are; what bait will draw them; how to approach them and catch them without chasing them away. No fish is seeking to be caught. But a diligent fisherman can catch them by acquired wisdom.
“And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.” (Luke 5:10b) A good fisherman is not stopped by the fear of going where the fish are, or of not catching fish, but is motivated by the fact that if he continues to fish, he will catch fish, and this makes it worth everything.
If we will accept the Lord’s call to go fishing for Him for the souls of men, He has promised that He will make a fisherman out of us, and that we shall catch men. We may start out feeling awkward and ill-equipped, but as we continue to go, under the direction of the Master, He will make us to become an able fisherman.
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” Proverbs 11:30
In terms of being fishers of men, how wise are we? It took someone to answer the Lord’s call, to reach us. What if no one would have been willing?
SHARING
