The story is told of a fisherman who had a large tank on the side of his fishing boat. It was perforated so that the water of the sea passed right through it.

He would put the fish that he caught in this tank to keep them alive and fresh for the market, but he found that after they had been kept in there a few days they lost their firmness and flavor.

Their life in the tank was not their natural life. They did not have to struggle for their food, and they were safe from their enemies. Such a life of ease produces deterioration.

There was another fisherman there who also kept the fish that he caught in a tank on the side of his boat, but he always brought his fish to market in good condition. Others tried to find out his secret, but he would not tell. After his death, his daughter told the secret.

He always put a catfish in the tank and it kept the fish in fear of their lives all the time, and they always had to struggle to keep out of his way. It was like their natural life in the sea.

The afflictions and misfortunes which distress the children of God are not all to be explained as chastening for their wrong doings. There may be "the catfish in the well" placed there by Him who knows all things to keep them in the best of condition. Those who live in comfort and ease usually never amount to very much for the Lord. God, in choosing men, always selects those who have gone through trials and hardships.

A noted violin maker went out into the timber to select his own timber for the making of his violins. He always chose the wood from the north side of the tree because he said it was used to the hard beating storms from the north and was tough and would stand more strain. This he said was better suited for violins. Those who have withstood the stormy trials and hardships of life are the ones who are best fitted for His service. [ The End ]