Fishers of Men

“I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:8)

Good morning, my friend…

This morning I am at peace. Peace in my heart. Peace in my spirit. Peace in my soul. I love this feeling! I awoke, as the old spiritual said, in my right mind. I am healthy. I have a peaceful home in which to live. I have a peaceful lifestyle. I have need of nothing. Oh sure, I don’t have my Porsche or my Rolls Royce yet – haha – but those are desires, dreams, perhaps even goals (at one time), but for now, all is at rest.

We live in a tumultuous world. Things are crazy all around us. I live in a “bad” neighborhood – a poor, working-class neighborhood – in an isolated town. The country is seemingly at civil war within itself, our families are in-fighting, friends have deserted us. We COULD keep ourselves busy looking at the negative side of life; however, the Bible reminds us time after time to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, to meditate on the Word of God, to always have the line of communication between God and us open, to be thankful for our blessings. It’s easy to get caught up in the drama of life, but we are challenged to discipline ourselves to stay with God and walk in His ways. One of the most famous Psalms (Psalm 23) states that, “...even though I walk through the valley of death I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me…” How awesome is that!?

I would strongly recommend you read through the entirety of Psalm 4 today and take your cues from it. David wrote this Psalm before he became King of Israel – back when he was still shepherding sheep. He was forgotten, basically, by his family, as he was out of sight and out of mind. We know this because when the priest came to anoint one of the sons of Jesse as the next king, he never even gave a thought to his son, David, out in the field. Yet in this song (David was a musician, you remember), David recognizes that God has set him apart because he was godly in his heart. David is grateful and recounts how God hears him when he calls out to Him. David reminds himself (and us) to stand in awe of the goodness of God and sin not; instead, talk to ourselves in the quiet times. I spoke recently about the feedback loop that we all have playing in the background of our minds constantly. David tells us to commune with ourselves, to talk to ourselves, to program ourselves in the quiet times – to reprogram our minds according to the Word of God. In verse 5, David teaches us to offer the sacrifices of righteousness – to give up our “rights” and live, instead, according to the laws and commandments of God, and to simply trust that God has our back. As long as we are in Him we are safe.

Then along comes verse 6. The English translation of this does little credit to what David actually wrote here. This verse, properly translated, says “Who will see any good in us? Who will give us any credit or value?” Ah, but then He prays, “God, YOU see us according to Your perfect plan. You see, in us, a reflection of Your righteousness and Your image. You value us highly!” He continues, “You have made me happier than any physical or financial gain others may have gotten, because You esteem me higher than any mere earthly treasure.” God, David wrote, has put gladness in his heart – God has made David almost giddy with pleasure, has placed a deep well of satisfaction, peace, and joy within him by showing him love. It is my deep desire that you get a sense of much God loves you today, how much He values your friendship (yes, we can have a friendship with the God of heaven), how much He wants to share and “do” life with you and me.

Don’t you see the progression of blessing in this Psalm? I place my trust in God, I find comfort in His Presence, I run to Him when the enemy attacks – thru friend, enemy, or family. God is my All-In-All. He is, truly, for me the Alpha and Omega. My life begins, ends, and everything in between with Him. I try to live my life enfolded in Him. Yes, I have a civilian job that forces me to interact with others; yet, even in those interactions, I can come to the table clothed in righteousness and godliness. Even in a lost and dying world, I can live my eternal, forever life here and now. Even in a poverty and disease-stricken society, I can live a life of blessing and favor. That becomes my testimony. That becomes my light shining in the darkness, a city set on a hill. That is what draws others to Christ.

As Paul wrote over in the New Testament, to the dying this becomes a stench in their nostrils. To those who are destined to be condemned to hell, I become an outcast, a target for their rage and anger, but to those who are called to salvation I become a beacon of hope, a road sign to the Way of life. To one the stench of death, to the other the fragrance of heaven on earth. Being aware of this knowledge, it makes my interactions with others a fishing trip. I am seeking those who are hungry and thirsty, those who are reaching out for “something” or Someone – that’s what it means to be a fisher of men. Like Jesus, I seek those who are reaching out and pass by those who are merely onlookers or critics. That makes life so much more fulfilling and pleasant. I don’t have to be angry or ugly to those who are critical or brutish – after all, I am called to go forth and preach the gospel to all creatures using my life as an example, but using words if necessary. That is your calling, too, my friend if you are a Christian. We aren’t called to wrestle down alligators and convert them to catfish; instead, we are called to find the catfish lost in a river full of alligators and rescue them.

Today, my friend, I challenge you to change the way you see your life according to this scripture and this teaching. Paul describes certain ones as clouds with no water – or as Texans would say, “All hat and no cattle.” Those we are to love with the love of Christ despite their prickly attitude and actions. We don’t have to hug them and try to make them different (that’s His job if He so desires), we are simply called to go forth and show the love of Christ. Those who will come, will come. Those who won’t, well, they won’t unless the Spirit of Christ draws them. That makes everything easier for us – and, frankly, for God.

Go forth, dear one, and love the (same) world that Jesus came and died for. Allow His peace to flow forth from you – along with His love. Heal the sick, raise the dead, open blinded eyes, set free the captives, and follow His example.

Be blessed.