Have you ever asked yourself, “What does God fish for?” The answer might affect what you wake up seeking each day. In a parable about God’s net, Jesus addressed this question (see Matthew 13:47-50).
First, God fishes for all: “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish” (Matthew 13:47). Jesus used the Greek word sagene for net, describing a dragnet. A dragnet included floats at the top and weights at the bottom with each corner tied together with its counterpart at the ends. The result was that all of the fish swimming in the area would be caught in the net.
God’s dragnet reaches those of us who have floated to the top of the sea as well as those of us who have sunk to rock bottom. None of us is outside the reach of God’s net (see Isaiah 59:1; cf. Romans 1:16-17). His net is one of love and kindness that touches all: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). His love and kindness leads us to repentance (see Romans 2:4).
Whether you have swum to the top of your moral or vocational sea, or you find yourself sunk at rock bottom, God’s net will find you. When it does, He will be examining the contents of your heart. What will He find?