When I was a small boy, like many boys and girls who may read this story, my family was very, very poor. My dad worked long, hard hours just to keep us six children fed and with enough clothes so we could go to school. He had very little time to play with us or to take us on vacations. But one summer he did get some time off from his job, and he took the family to the Concho River in central Texas for a day of fishing.
When we reached the river, we got our poles and lines all sorted out. Then we baited our hooks and began to fish. I was the first one to catch a fish. We put my fish on a stringer and put it back in shallow water. This would keep it alive until we were able to catch more fish to add to our planned fish fry.
What fun it was to be with Dad and the whole family, looking forward to eating freshly caught fish. Mother had said she would cook them on an open fire with potatoes and onions fried together in the same skillet after the fish had already been fried. Mmmmmmmm, we could hardly wait!
But the fishing was not very good that day. Or maybe we were not very good fishermen. It turned out that my fish was the only one we caught. We would still fry it and all eight of us would have a few bites each.
When we went to get the fish, to our dismay a large water moccasin had just about completely swallowed my fish! We all were frightened by this big poisonous snake and disappointed that the only fish we caught had been captured by the evil thing. Dad and we boys killed the snake, of course, but we had lost our only fish... my fish.
When the Lord Jesus called Peter and John to be His disciples, they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:1919And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. (Matthew 4:19). Do you know, boys and girls, why the Lord Jesus needed fishers of men? He needed fishers of men because the people to whom the disciples were sent were lost in their sins. You are lost in your sins, too, if you have not admitted to God that you are a sinner and accepted Jesus as your own Saviour.
Perhaps someone has been “fishing” for you. If your dad and mother know the Lord Jesus as their Saviour, they may have been “fishing” for your precious soul many times when they have read the Bible with you and prayed for you. Your Sunday school teacher may have been “fishing” for you today. Would you like to be “caught” for the Lord Jesus Christ? Being “caught” is to be saved by having all your sins forgiven by Him. You will go to heaven to be with the Lord Jesus when He comes or when you die if you accept Him as your Saviour.
Satan, the enemy of your soul, is described in God’s Word, the Bible, as “that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world.” Revelation 12:99And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Revelation 12:9). He is hunting you to swallow you up and to take you down to hell, the place that was prepared for him and his angels. Just as that water moccasin nearly swallowed up my fish, Satan gets closer and closer to swallowing you up, the longer you wait to come to Jesus and accept Him as your Saviour.
The Bible tells us that the Lord Jesus defeated Satan. Jesus had to die on the cross and rise from the dead to defeat the plan of Satan. Satan would like to have you as his prize. If you turn to the Lord Jesus now, you will never know the horror of being swallowed by the old serpent. When you let Jesus come into your heart as your Saviour, He would like you to also become a “fisherman” for Him. He would like you to tell other boys and girls how you were saved from being swallowed up by Satan.
ML-07/24/1988