Weekly Devotion: Fishers of Men

“And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19

The first four disciples that Jesus called were fishermen. He promised that if they would follow him, he would make them “fishers of men.” Many places in the Bible, God likens men unto fish.

“And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?” Habakkuk 1:14

Jeremiah 16:16a says, “Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the LORD, and they shall fish them...” The teaching of men being like fish is clear, when we read that “The waters… are peoples”.

“And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” Revelation 17:15

Since the fish in these “waters” like different things, we need to become “all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22). We need to learn how to catch those that are swimming upstream. Some swim in schools, we need Christians in our schools, fishing for souls. Some fish are top feeders others are bottom feeders, we need to be equipped to go shallow or deep. If we are going to be fishermen for God, we must invest in casting our bread upon these “waters”.

“Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.” Ecclesiastes 11:1

Crusades and outreach campaigns are like fishing with nets, in hopes of bringing in a “multitude of fishes” (John 21:6). We call similar approaches in business, “networking”! Satan is called the “dragon that is in the sea” (Isaiah 27:1), and he has some “fishy” representatives who are out there too, fishing for the souls of men. One net that he uses is called the “Inter net” or “World Wide Web (www)”. Like most tools, the Internet can either be used as an instrument of righteousness or unrighteousness.

“For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.” Ecclesiastes 9:12

Some fish are salt-water and some are fresh water but the Bible describes two basic kinds of fish, clean and unclean (Leviticus 11:9-12), i.e. saved or lost, which type are you? Are you the kind that will enter into God’s “kingdom” or the kind that will be cast into the “furnace of fire”?

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 13:47-50

Friend, the key to catching fish is to follow Jesus; if you are not bringing souls in God’s kingdom; it is probably because you are not following Jesus. To start following Jesus, simply and completely surrender yourself to him in prayer, “hook, line, and sinker”, and be saved from hell today!