A Lesson On How To Fish For People From Fishing For Fish!

Today’s "Life Journal" Daily Bible Reading can be found on Line. Click Here!
1 Samuel 19; 1 Chronicles 7; Psalm 59; Matthew 4

A Lesson On 

How To Fish For People

From Fishing For Fish!

Scripture

Matthew 4

¹⁸ One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living.

  ¹⁹ Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” ²⁰ And they left their nets at once and followed him.

Observation

Someone told me the reason “Fishing” is called “Fishing” and not “Catching” is because we don’t always “Catch” something when we “Fish”. So true! Kathy says that I am a “Jonah” when it comes to fishing, but I love to go! 

There are some very good parallels between fishing for “Fish” and fishing for “Men”. Let me mention a few that immediately come to my mind:

1.      Fishing requires that we go where the fish are or at least where the fish should be. You are not going to catch fish sitting in your house in front of the TV. 

2.      If you are fishing with a rod and reel (hook and line) to catch fish then you have to use the right bait!

3.      If you are fishing with nets for fish then you have to go fishing at the right time – you normally don’t fish with nets during the daytime (because the fish can see the nets). 

4.      The best fisherman usually are the ones who have spent time learning how to fish from other very good fisherman!

So lets see if we can draw some truths about “Fishing for Men” from “Fishing for Fish”:

1.      If we are going to fish for men then we need to be intentional about it. We can’t win men and women to Christ sitting in our house in front of the TV. 

2.      We have to learn how to share our faith and we need to be willing to do everything we can to see the person come to Christ.

3.      We need to be sensitive to the right time to share our faith. Some folks dump the Gospel on people whether they are ready to hear it or not. You and I on the other hand always need to be ready to share our faith even when it is not a good time or convenient for us.

4.      It helps to be taught how to share your faith by someone who is a soul-winner! Soul-winners are in every church. You just need to find one and go out with them. 

Application

I will continue to “Fish” for “Fish” and I will continue to “Fish” for “Men”.  

Prayer

Heavenly Father, You know I enjoy getting out on the water and at least trying to catch a fish, but I truly love to see someone come to Christ a lot more than catching a smelly fish. Help me be successful at fishing for men. In fishing for fish I will probably always be a fisher rather than a catcher, but when it comes to fishing for men I want to be successful. It is my calling. Help me be a success at it. 

Today’s "Life Journal" Daily Bible Reading can be found on Line. Click Here!