Some Days the Fish, Some the Bait

“‘Come, follow Me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men’” (Matthew 4:19). If He’d told them they’d be the bait, would they so quickly have bitten the hook? It’s easier to tell someone about Jesus with words than it is to live out faith. It’s a lot easier to stand in front of a large crowd and speak than it is to lose an infant daughter, suffer disease, watch your mother die, and proclaim your love for the Lord while maintaining your hope in Him. It’s way harder to smile through pain than to say, “Jesus died for you.” Bait. When you can be the answer to the question of how a loving God allows bad things to happen, you’re the bait.

When men cast lures into the water, they can’t see the fish. They can’t see the fish. When you’re in the midst of a trial, you’re often too submerged in murky misery to see what you’re fishing for. In those times, pray God will remove the cloudy me-ness and make apparent those who are missing His message. Find them in their hiding places, like the bass among the branches. They’re often hard to spot through the fog of, “I’m fine,” but they hunger for healing that only Jesus can provide. Sometimes living out faith is the only way to catch and relieve a desperate soul.

Gently reel if you feel a tug. Offer sincerity, or you’ll break the line. Reveal God’s provision. Be the bait, meet the fish’s need, and you will demonstrate that God works all things for the benefit of those who love Him and allow His control.

May your writing be crystal clear like the Carribbean, and may it not hurt to be the bait.