Psalms 1-3
Acts 17:1-15
“[Jesus] got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon….Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat. When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’” Luke 5:3-4
In Luke 5, Jesus was teaching by the Lake of Gennesaret and people were gathering to hear Him. He got on a boat owned by Simon Peter and told him to take the boat a little from the shore so He could continue teaching. After He finished, He told Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch” (Luke 5:4). This was a pivotal point for Simon as Jesus challenged his obedience, because Simon was a fisherman by trade, while Jesus was a carpenter by trade.
There are many different jobs in the world, but we can all agree that no matter the job, it takes a certain amount of training and knowledge to do the job competently. For example, a nurse cannot do what a mechanic does and a mechanic cannot do what a pilot does. This was the type of situation that Simon faced—a carpenter was telling a fisherman how to fish.
Could we imagine what was going on in Peter’s mind when all this was happening? Simon knew the Lake of Gennesaret like the back of his hand, and he knew how to catch fish. He may have thought, “Who is this person telling me how to do my job? I have my education and experience.” When Simon received Jesus’s order, faith and doubt, trust and misgiving were battling out. Simon’
not obey Jesus, but his conscience, illuminated by faith, told him that he had to obey. This is the type of struggle that we all face when we follow after Jesus—the challenge to obey Him.
In the end, Simon’s faith conquered, and he responded, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because You say so, I will let down the nets” (Luke 5:5). Simon trusted Jesus, and Jesus did not disappoint. On that day, Simon caught more fish than he ever had before. Simon’s obedience teaches us an important lesson: there are going to be times when we do not understand what God is doing, and sometimes, what He is doing seems contrary to what we may actually think is right and proper. Yet, it is in these moments that we must press in, as the old hymn goes:
When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
Dear Master, help me to trust and obey what You are calling me to do even when I do not understand what You are doing in the situation. Thank You, Jesus.
Acts 17:1-15
“[Jesus] got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon….Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat. When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’” Luke 5:3-4
In Luke 5, Jesus was teaching by the Lake of Gennesaret and people were gathering to hear Him. He got on a boat owned by Simon Peter and told him to take the boat a little from the shore so He could continue teaching. After He finished, He told Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch” (Luke 5:4). This was a pivotal point for Simon as Jesus challenged his obedience, because Simon was a fisherman by trade, while Jesus was a carpenter by trade.
There are many different jobs in the world, but we can all agree that no matter the job, it takes a certain amount of training and knowledge to do the job competently. For example, a nurse cannot do what a mechanic does and a mechanic cannot do what a pilot does. This was the type of situation that Simon faced—a carpenter was telling a fisherman how to fish.
Could we imagine what was going on in Peter’s mind when all this was happening? Simon knew the Lake of Gennesaret like the back of his hand, and he knew how to catch fish. He may have thought, “Who is this person telling me how to do my job? I have my education and experience.” When Simon received Jesus’s order, faith and doubt, trust and misgiving were battling out. Simon’
not obey Jesus, but his conscience, illuminated by faith, told him that he had to obey. This is the type of struggle that we all face when we follow after Jesus—the challenge to obey Him.
In the end, Simon’s faith conquered, and he responded, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because You say so, I will let down the nets” (Luke 5:5). Simon trusted Jesus, and Jesus did not disappoint. On that day, Simon caught more fish than he ever had before. Simon’s obedience teaches us an important lesson: there are going to be times when we do not understand what God is doing, and sometimes, what He is doing seems contrary to what we may actually think is right and proper. Yet, it is in these moments that we must press in, as the old hymn goes:
When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
Dear Master, help me to trust and obey what You are calling me to do even when I do not understand what You are doing in the situation. Thank You, Jesus.
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