“And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men.” When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.”–Luke 5:10b-11

Luke 5 gives us courage to try again.

As Jesus reveals His deity to the fishermen their lives are changed. They are not the same weary men who got into the boat earlier.

The Lord addresses their fears and emotions that could hold them back, “Do not fear…” He gives these simple men a new vision of His nature, along with a new identity and purpose. “From now on you will be catching men.” 

Seeing more of Jesus gives us faith to leave our nets behind.

[tweetthis]God’s work in our lives makes us brave and changes our purpose. [/tweetthis]

Jesus reveals himself in the deep waters of faithWhen you row into the deep with Jesus…

“That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.” –Ephesians 3:16-19

If Simon were only focused on the big catch, he would not have wanted to leave the blessing. And oh, what he would have missed!

  • When the desire that pulses through our veins and motivates our work is only to bring in the big catch, our lives will only be about the fish.
  • Our biggest achievements will only be the things we’ve been able to accomplish with the capable efforts of our own hands.
  • Day after day, we will hang onto our nets, casting our hearts for smaller visions.

And fish is all we will catch.

When we’ve been to the deep with Jesus, He provides what we need to leave the old ways behind and follow Him more intimately.

[tweetthis]When we’ve been to the deep with Jesus, He calls us from pursuing things to investing in people.[/tweetthis]

When we’ve been to the deep with Jesus, He invites us to participate with Him in the deep work of God in the hearts of men.

When we’ve been to the deep with Jesus, He is “able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us...

–Ephesians 3:20.

Leave the shallows, Friend.

Discouragement hangs heavy around our necks when effort seems to fail. There is not one empty net in our lives that does not have meaning and purpose. If we give up, reel in our hearts, and leave our nets on dry ground, what will we miss? Venture into to the deep with Christ and let him fill your soul with overflowing revelation, courage, and purpose.

A few thoughts to remember from this short series:

  • He is in it with us–He’s in our boat in the middle of our failures and our weariness.
  • We can never give more to Jesus than He will give to us (David Guzik).
  • Powerful lessons and opportunities come in the disguise of our mundane, simple tasks.
  • Some fish will not be caught in the shallows and some lessons cannot be learned in the easy victories of life.
  • The deeper work of God is often accomplished after we realize our efforts have come to nothing and our trusted strategies have not worked.
  • When Jesus takes us into the deeps, it is not just about the fish.
  • Could it be that God is simply waiting for us to realize that working in our own efforts will never bring the catch that God desires to give?
  • God’s work in our lives makes us brave and changes our purpose.

What speaks to your heart most in this post today?

This is the final post on Luke 5. If you missed the previous posts:

Read more about this in Ginger’s award-winning book with Abingdon Press. Click the image below to purchase your copy.

Make the most of every moment by learning practical ways to trust God in every circumstance. Overcome anxiety, perfectionism, insecurity, and other challenges by simple choices to rely on the live of Christ in the moment.

 *This post contains an affiliate link at no cost to you.

 

 

 

 

Pin It on Pinterest