Completely Irresistible Drawing Others to God's Extravagant Love

Day 1: Go Fish! Daily reading:Matthew 4:1825 Key passage:One day as Jesus was walking along the shore beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothersSimon, also called Peter, and Andrew fishing with a net, for they were commercial fishermen. Jesus called out to them, "Come, be my disciples, and I will show you how to fish for people!" And they left their nets at once and went with him. (Matthew 4:1820) Greg and I had been dating for several months, and he asked to take me somewhere special for my birthday.He's going to propose,I suspected.I'm getting an engagement ring for my birthday!Christmas was just around the corner, and I had already bought him a camcorder and placed it under my tree. I decided to give it to him early so we'd have it for the trip. We'll be able to get his proposal on video! My birthday arrived, and we sat in Greg's Ford Bronco by Broken Bow Lake. "May I give you your birthday present now?" he asked. "No! I have to give you your Christmas present first!" I insisted. He opened the camcorder and was delighted with his new, high-tech toy. We played with it long enough to figure out how it worked, then I caught his cute face on camera as he repeated, "May I give you your presentnow?" "YES!" I exclaimed. He reached behind the seat and brought out a brand-new...rod and reel! I couldn't believe it. He gave me a fishing pole for my birthday! Greg rambled on all afternoon in that tipsy canoe about his fishing adventures, how much he loved the sport, and how glad he was to have a girlfriend who was willing to fish alongside him. I kept thinking of things I'd rather be doinglike getting engaged! A few men in Jesus' day also loved to fish, but Jesus had something else in mind. "Follow me...and I will make you fishers of men," He urged Peter, Andrew, James, and John (Mark 1:17, NIV). They didn't argue. They dropped their nets, abandoned their boats, and dedicated their lives to the highest of callings: to draw others into a relationship with Christ. Chances are, you've come to know Christ because someone fished for your soul, whether it was a parent, preacher, teacher, or friend. Are you willing to do the same? Perhaps you're thinking,Well, evangelism is not really my thing. God has often called people to do things that were uncomfortable for them...that weren't their "thing." And if these people had let their discomfort stop them from doing what God had asked, we would all be without hope. Think about it. What if Noah had said, "Building boats isn't really my thing"? Not one person would have survived the flood, and the human race would have been terminated right then and there. What if David had insisted, "Writing psalms is not really my thing"? Millions of people would have missed out on some of the most comforting poetry ever written. What if Mary had replied to the angel, "Virgin births aren't really my thing"? She would have missed out on an unequaled opportunity to serve God and humankind. What if Jesus had said, "Crosses aren't really My thing"? We would be doomed, both now and forever. Life is about much more than simply doing our own thing. We can live for a much higher purposeGod's thing, drawing people to Himself. Our heavenly Bridegroom seeks a bride who will go fishing for souls alongside Him. Let's reflect for a moment on how God likely feels when we refuse to go fishing with Him. ImagineEthridge, Shannon is the author of 'Completely Irresistible Drawing Others to God's Extravagant Love', published 2007 under ISBN 9781400071159 and ISBN 1400071151.