MARK 1:17

Mark 1: 17 

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

TO PONDER

Does that verse above seem a bit harsh? Is it a command from Jesus to fish for people? Don’t we have a choice? What about freewill? 

It’s not a command. It’s an invitation. The invitation is to follow. The people catching, is the response. 

But can’t fishing be smelly? What if there are people I’d rather not connect with? What if I can’t fish? What if it’s hard? What if I cast my line and miss? What if I snag something else?  Jesus would say these are all valid questions that he’s heard before, and will hear again, but will continue to invite you to follow. Because he knows, that if you aim high, and miss, you’ll still have sowed the seed. You’ll still have done something, and something is better than nothing. Sometimes the sin, can be doing nothing. 

It’s like a certain subject that has been talked about for years and years because the outcome of the vote might cause a division. So be it. At least something will have occurred. At least the seed will have been sown. And it’s not our problem what the result is of sharing the Good News with others, it’s God’s. And God is big enough to handle any answer, rejection or knock-back.

So let’s go fishing!    

PRAYER: Help us Lord, to assist you in the fishing department. When it’s tough, or we don’t think we can do it, give us the courage to cast that line, and then the words to say when we begin to haul in the catch. Amen  

Today's devotion written by Mark Simpfendorfer, LifeWay Epping