FEBRUARY 19, Matthew 4:19

Derek sighed. He wished a fish would take the bait on his hook. “I’ve finally got a bite,” he said when the fishing line jiggled at last. Derek jerked the fishing rod quickly, but there was no fish, and most of the bait was gone. “That must be the ‘big one that got away,’” said Grandpa with a chuckle as he handed Derek a fresh worm to put on the hook. “Don’t give up. Try again.”

A little later, Derek pulled up his line again. “I got one this time!” he exclaimed. He took a fish off the hook and put it in the pail of water. “You sure did!” agreed Grandpa. “That would be nice for dinner! Let’s see how many more we can catch.”

After Derek and Grandpa caught several more fish, Grandpa said, “Jesus talked to His disciples about fishing. Some of them had fished for a living, so they understood fish talk. Do you remember what Jesus said they should do?”

“Be fishers of men,” replied Derek promptly. “We sang that song in Sunday school when I was just a little kid. But . . . I’m not sure how you fish for people, Grandpa.” Derek grinned. “They don’t like worms,” he added.

Grandpa laughed. “That’s right, so you offer them a different kind of food-spiritual food,” he replied. “You offer them the ‘Bread of Life.’ That’s what Jesus called Himself, remember?”

Derek thought about that for a moment. “Sometimes they don’t bite, though,” he said.

Grandpa shook his head. “No, they don’t,” he agreed. “Some don’t want to hear about Jesus at all. Others are like fish that only nibble. They’re sort of interested, but not too much. They leave after hearing only a little about Jesus. But . . .” Grandpa’s eyes sparkled like the water around them, “other people are like the fish we caught. They want to know all they can, and they accept Jesus as Savior.” He pointed to the fish in the bucket. “We kept on fishing even though they weren’t biting at first, right? And it paid off. We need to keep fishing for men, too.”

Thought: Are you a “fisher of men”? If you’re a Christian, you should be. Watch for opportunities to talk about Jesus. Let others know that you’re thankful to God for saving you.

Prayer: Help me Heavenly Father to tell others about things learned from the Bible or about a prayer God has answered. Or maybe a special blessing You have given me. In Jesus Name I pray – amen.