No doubt most of my young readers know what fishing with a line means. At seaport towns and by the lake shores, we often see men, women, and children out fishing in this way. Sometimes very poor mothers will go to the piers with their children, to get some fish for dinner or some other meal.
One may feel thankful that the poor can have this means of getting food without being hindered by others, and we can say; it is a mark of God’s care for them.
It is not only in such a way as this that we can see God’s goodness to the poor, but they get what many of the rich may never get, and that is, the gospel preached to them. The rich, as a rule, are so occupied with the pleasure of this world, which they are able to pay for, that they never go near the places where they may hear the gospel; and so their riches are often a hindrance to them; and on the other hand we see the poor not only hearing the gospel, but getting their souls saved by believing the glad tidings that God has sent to us about His Son as a Saviour for poor sinners. Of His own free and sovereign grace God gave His only begotten Son to die for sinners, in their stead—in their place, so that, though they are sinners, and have done things worthy of death, not one of them shall ever be cast into hell, who will accept Jesus as his only Saviour, and believe in Him, and rest in His word.
May the reader of these lines, whether old or young, be given to know what it is to believe the glad tidings about God’s Son and not only rejoice in knowing that Jesus is his Saviour but seek to bring others to Him also.
You may have known what it was to fish in the lakes, rivers or sea, and rejoice when you get a big fish, and if you have found Jesus as your Saviour you will rejoice too when you catch some poor sinners by telling them how much God loves them by having given His Son to die on the cross for them.
“Rescue the perishing,
Care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o’er the erring one,
Lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus the mighty to save.”
ML 09/09/1906