“You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed and placed and purposefully planted you.”
John 15:16 AMP
To be completely transparent, I am not a shrimper. I’ll be the first to admit I know nothing at all about shrimping. However, many years ago I observed a group of men cast their nets out into the water with the goal of catching as many shrimp as possible. I was fascinated watching them. These men used “Cast Nets” which are circular nets with weights evenly distributed around the perimeter. They are intended to be repeatedly thrown and retrieved, and are very productive for catching fish or shrimp. The net is thrown by hand so that it spreads out in the air before landing in the water and sinking over the “targeted species.”While watching this, I was quickly reminded of a spiritual principle using this earthly illustration.God, in His infinite wisdom, cast out His “net.” He targeted you! He called you by name. He put His finger on you and said, “You are mine, I choose you—and He swept you into His vast net. He redeemed you. You are no accident. He knew you before you were conceived. His eye was on you. He knew you before the foundation of the world and you are the apple of His eye. You are not a mistake. He loves you so much and He has a great plan and purpose for your life. Stop doing life your way! Surrender your life to follow Him. Remember, He chose you—you didn’t choose Him.“But now, this is what the Lord says, He who is your Creator, and He who formed you, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!” Isaiah 43:1Pause today and humble yourself before God, the Creator of the world, and thank Him for choosing you. Be courageous. Be bold. Be fearless. Be intentional. Be disciplined. Listen closely, your very existence—even your next heartbeat is completely and totally dependent on Him. Worship God today by surrendering all of your heart to Him. He is chasing after you. He is madly in love with you and He wants to take your mess and turn it into your greatest message. You have great value and great purpose. Bloom where you’ve been planted—then cast out your own net and become a “Fisher of Men.”Be Worth Being,KevinSUBSCRIBE TO "OVER THE HUMP" DEVOTIONALKevin Burrell has worked in professional baseball as both a player and MLB scout for the past 39 years, and currently serves as an area scouting supervisor. Kevin was drafted in the 1st round of the 1981 free agent amateur draft (25th selection overall), and played ten years of professional baseball with four different organizations. He and his wife, Valerie, live in Sharpsburg, Ga.
Imagine that you could sit down and pick the brains of some of the top leaders in the country! That's the premise behind the Linch with a Leader podcast. Learn how these leaders - all among the best in their respective field - have risen to the top, while continuing to grow spiritually and chase after the Lord.
