We have the twelve apostles following Jesus, ministering, healing in His name, and learning the Gospel. They realize He's the Messiah, and they’re expecting that any time now, He'll rule as King, the Romans will be history, and all will live happily ever after. There is one puzzling thing though. Jesus has been telling them lately that His destiny is with death, and then He’ll rise after three days. Some things are hard to understand, and even harder to believe, and this was one of those things.

Here’s a funny thing to consider. This Coin in fish mouth story is only included in the book of Matthew and Matthew was a tax collector before He followed Jesus! You’ve got to love the Lord's sense of humor.

At any rate, let's get back to our coin in fish mouth story. They asked Peter if Jesus paid tribute. (Think of the audacity of this … really. They were asking Peter if the Son of God paid taxes!) Peter said, Yes. And when he went into the house, Jesus stopped Peter and said, What do you think Simon? Who do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute from? From their own children, or from strangers? Peter answered Him, From strangers. Then Jesus said, Then the children are free. (More humble humor here … the kings of earth collect taxes from strangers, yet they are requiring tribute from the King of kings, Honestly.)

COIN IN FISH MOUTH TRUTH OF COIN IN FISH MOUTH MIRACLE WITH COIN IN FISH MOUTH BLESSING

Is that just the coolest thing, or what? I don't know about you, but I'd have a hard time NOT believing in Jesus after all the things He’d done. Coincidence is a joke when you consider all the miracles He did. What are the odds that Peter would go to the sea of Galilee, which is about 20 miles long and 12 miles wide, and catch the one fish in the entire sea that had money in it's mouth? It’s just amazing!

How does this little story apply to our lives today? Have you ever needed something, and you thought it was just purely impossible that you would get it? And then by some . . . miracle . . . it was obtainable?! Peter certainly didn’t have any money to pay tribute with. He’d been workin’ for Jesus for quite some time now and there was no money involved in that. Yet the Lord did provide.

COIN IN FISH MOUTH BLESSING BRINGING FORTH COIN IN FISH MOUTH HOPE

God will provide fish mouth blessings to you too. Pray for them. You won’t need a fishing rod or a tackle box or bait. Just a sincere prayer asking your Holy Father to provide what you need. That’s not to say that it won't take any effort at all on your part. You may have to work for it. Your fish may come in the form of overtime that wouldn’t normally be available to you. It may come from winning a prize of some kind. It may come as a promotion. It may come as a gift. It may come as an unexpected tax refund (ha ha). You just never know, but there’s some things that you won't want to forget about fish mouth blessings. Don't forget to thank your Heavenly Father for them and don’t take advantage of them or take them for granted.

Another thing that you may want to consider is . . . what if you’re the fish! If you give a gift to someone, you’re in for a blessing yourself, because charity removes a multitude of sins. Is it coincidence that Peter wrote that in 1 Peter 4:8?

There are things about charity that are important to know, too. Suppose you give someone a gift, it could be a homeless person, a needy family, a child, a relative, etc. Remember, not to give gifts so other people see you. Keep it a secret, don’t tell anyone or the admiration of whoever knows about your gift is all the reward you get, (Matthew 6:1-2) ... Of course, all gifts aren’t given anonymously, but don’t seek continual gratitude from the recipient of your gift. You may not get the blessing FROM GOD that you would have gotten, if you seek earthly reward. Be thankful that God worked through you and allowed you the opportunity to pass on His blessing and be blessed. It may be YOU that God used as the fish.

Is there someone in your life who voluntarily helps you out a lot, and you feel like you owe them? Is there someone who you voluntarily help out a lot? If we all tried to pay one another back for all of the charity (love) that we’ve given and received, minute for minute and penny for penny, why would God need to bestow His blessings? We should think more about accepting the blessings that we receive through other people as His gift to us. Do you think God wants you to pay Him back for the blessings He gives you? If you give someone a birthday present, do you expect them to give you a gift in return, or payment for it? Of course not, you would be insulted. These are some great things to think about.

To sum it all up, you see, whether you get a gift, or whether you give a gift, you are blessed. Whether you pay it back, or pay it forward, is something to pray to God about and with His hand, you can keep the gifts coming and going through your whole life and the lives of others.