The Shepherd and the Fishermen
Inspired by The Book Of Mysteries by Jonathan Cahn
In the quiet solitude of the wilderness, far from the clamor of city life, there is a pattern woven into the very fabric of God's divine plan—one that reveals His purposeful design for each of His children.
It was in a place like this, said the teacher, where an old shepherd tended his flock near a mountain and a desert bush. Little did he know, that humble shepherd would be chosen by God to deliver an entire nation.
“Moses,” I said.
And then there were the fishermen, casting their nets into the waters, unaware that one day they would become some of the most influential figures in history—followers of Messiah, called to be fishers of men.
“The disciples,” I said.
The teacher nodded.
“There’s a pattern.”
He explained that Moses, in his former life, was a shepherd who led his flock through the wilderness. But God would use that same shepherding heart to guide an entire nation of Israel through the wilderness.
Similarly, the disciples were fishermen—ordinary men—who would later become the messengers of Christ, called to gather souls and fish for men. Their previous lives perfectly aligned with their divine calling.
“It’s not that God changed who they were,” the teacher said. “He redeems what they were born to be. God created and purposed them from the beginning to become what they would become.”
He paused, then added a profound truth:
“It wasn’t that Moses became a shepherd because he was a shepherd of sheep. It was that he became a shepherd of sheep because he was meant to shepherd Israel. It wasn’t that the disciples became fishers of men because they were fishermen. Rather, they became fishermen because they were to become fishers of men.”
This truth applies to all of God's children. When you look back on your life, you'll discover that within your story lies a divine mystery—a shadow of what you were created to become. Perhaps you see a Moses in the wilderness, or a fisherman in a boat.
Your life was a mystery waiting to be redeemed—a seed planted by God, embedded with His purpose from the beginning.
It’s not that God discovered your life and then decided to use it for His glory. No, He formed and purposed you long before you ever knew Him. Your current state is a shadow of the destiny He has designed for you—an unfinished masterpiece waiting for His hand to complete.
So, I encourage you:
“Commit every part of your life—your talents, your time, your dreams—to God's will. Trust that He is shaping you for the purpose He ordained from the beginning.”
When you do, you will see your life transform. You will become what you were created to be—an apostle, a shepherd, a deliverer, a fisher of men, or whatever divine calling God has placed on your heart.
The Mission:
Look back at your life. What has God been preparing you for all along? Take steps today to fulfill that calling, trusting that God’s purpose for you is unfolding exactly as He planned from the start.
Full Scripture References:
Exodus 3:1-8** — Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”
Jeremiah 1:5** — “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
Matthew 4:18-20** — And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
Galatians 1:15** — But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood.
2 Timothy 1:9** — Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.