“Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” James 5:20
I had him! And BOY… he was a big one! The funny thing was, I wasn’t even looking for him when he just came along, right to where I was sitting! As with all things fishing, the give and take, presenting the bait, letting him have it and the final set of the hook… failure to LAND the fish is ALWAYS a possibility. By the time it was over, I had lost him… forever!
He had come to my house with a crew of guys to do some work. He was to be here for a little over a week, everyday, right under my nose. With THAT much time I thought It’d be fairly easy to catch him. So I started slowly, asking questions about his life and gently talking about my Master… Jesus. He listened because, well… where else could he go?
He told me of his life, his story, his issues. And I hurt for him. Though seeming to listen, I never sensed him committing to the bait. He’d take it in, but spit it back out. Eventually he trusted me enough to give me his phone number, where I’d occasionally send stories, devotionals or Christian Songs. The job was done and he was gone, but I kept fishing… via text message.
A couple months of long distance fishing produced not even a nibble, so I moved on to other streams, occasionally thinking about ‘the ONE that got away.’ That is until yesterday. Yesterday I got a call from a fish that Jesus HAD caught who told me that ‘big fish’ … had just died from a drug overdose!
I’ve told that story to a few folks, and each one said, “well, you did what you could.” But that line hasn’t produced any sense of peace… only sorrow. Years ago I would use that pain as an excuse to simply hang up the pole for a while and take a break from loss and seeming failure. That is until ‘The Great Fisherman,’ would rouse me to get back in there and cast a line!
From the bank where I fish, I don’t see many fishermen. Waters that used to be calm, are now becoming a tumult. Fishing is becoming less productive and even more dangerous. When I look to my Master for an O.K. sign to stop, He quickly gives me a look that says, “don’t even THINK about it,” as He rows the boat out to even deeper, darker waters!
Taking this kind of fishing seriously has serious consequences. A fish may be just a fish, but the kind of fish Jesus wants are heavenly precious. Today’s Bible verse tells me that I am called to be a ‘Whoever’ who fishes to draw men OUT from death to LIFE! And though MOST will get away, I’m still called to be a fisher of men! So I fish!
What are YOU called to do for the Master?
