Catch a Better Life © 2022 Jimmy Houston All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc. Lure photography by Jeremy Combs Cover illustrated by Kathy Mitchell Cover photos by OMS Photography, Inc. and Leslee Mitchell Interior design by Kristy Edwards Thomas Nelson titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund- raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please email SpecialMarkets@ ThomasNelson.com. Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked cev are from the Contemporary English Version. Copyright © 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by permission. Any internet addresses, phone numbers, or company or product information printed in this book are offered as a resource and are not intended in any way to be or to imply an endorsement by Thomas Nelson, nor does Thomas Nelson vouch for the existence, content, or services of these sites, phone numbers, companies, or products beyond the life of this book. ISBN 978-1-4002-2933-8 (audiobook) ISBN 978-1-4002-2931-4 (eBook) ISBN 978-1-4002-2932-1 (HC) Printed in India 22 23 24 25 26 BPI 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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FEBRUARY 18 M A R K 1 6 : 15
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”
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onfidence is the best lure in your tackle box. Believe that you are in the right spot at the right time, that you’re fishing the best bait to catch fish, and that you are going to get a bite on the very next cast. This is confidence. Do you have the confidence to believe that Jesus died on the cross to T ip pay for our sins and walked out of the grave Texas rigged three days later to give us victory over death? craws work great Our part is to believe and to repent of our in grass—even sins and ask Jesus to come into our hearts in cold water. and save us. Make Him Lord of your life and He will. Have you done that? If you haven’t, do that right now. If you have, go tell someone. After all, this command is from the One who hung on the cross and walked out of that grave— Jesus Christ Himself.
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FEBRUARY 19 P S A L M 3 4 :1
I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
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ishermen love to talk about their stuff—how fast their boat is or how they use only the finest rods and reels. Their baits are the best, their fishing line, sunglasses, outboard engine, electronics, just about anything they use. We heap praise on a lot of stuff Tip we own. Hey, I am just as guilty as the Heavier jigs next guy. create more How much are we praising what we noise on really should be praising? The God who rocks. This created us, the God who saved us, the attracts bass. God who sustains us, the God who loves us—and I could go on forever. David said in this psalm that we should bless God all the time— continually praise Him. Today’s scripture would be good for us to tape on the bathroom mirror and the refrigerator. When we bless God, He will save us from fear and deliver us from all our troubles.
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JIMMY HOUSTON
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FEBRUARY 20 J E R E M I A H 2 9 : 11
I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
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love wintertime fishing even though the days are dark and cold, basically gloomy—because crappie fishing can be exceptional, and crappie fishing in a heated, lighted boat dock can make those cold, dark winter days really fun. Most boat docks are baited with T ip trees or structures that make these docks A beaver-t ype even better. soft plastic This letter by Jeremiah in today’s bait fishes scripture was given to the Israelites at their through thick darkest moment. They had been taken away grass easily. defeated, naked, and ashamed into captivity, exiled to another country for seventy years as prophesied. God promised peace. He promised a future. He promised them hope! These promises remain today for us; at our darkest, most hopeless times, God’s thoughts are to give us a hope and a bright future.
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