Luke 5:4-6; 9: “And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your
I remember going fishing when we lived in Minnesota. Having a depth finder on your boat would show you where the fish were despite the depth of the lake. It was a fantastic tool! In Luke 5, the first disciples, Peter, Andrew, James, and John’s employment trade was that of being fishermen. Fishermen are hard working. It took courage, faith, patience, and determination to work on the seas. They had to be willing to work together and help one another in achieving the end goal, of catching fish. This career required developing skills that would get the job done quickly and efficiently. They could not be quitters and give up, for their income depended upon it.
It is interesting to note that fish were in the shallow water at night on the sea of Galilee, whereas in the daylight they would migrate to deep waters where nets could not easily reach the fish, which was why Peter, who was the primary leader, and the other men fished at night. They used bell-shaped nets that would be thrown out into the water with lead weights that would sink around the fish. Then they would pull a cord drawing the net around the fish. These nets had to be kept in good condition, so they had to be washed and cleaned of weeds and then mended on an on-going basis, ready for the next night’s fishing expedition.
These men had worked hard all night and had not caught anything, so they were washing and mending their nets to prepare for the next night’s work. But Jesus, who had healed the sick by just a touch of His hand, cast out demons and showed His authority over them, came to these fishermen, sat in Peter’s boat, and met their need of catching fish. Their nets then became so full of fish that they began to split apart! They had to signal for help from other fishermen to assist them in being able to pull in all of these fish. The nets were overflowing with so much fish, that one boat of men could not pull it all in!
Jesus did several things before these disciples at the Sea of Galilee involving this supernatural and dramatic event:
- Jesus’ miracle demonstrated He is Lord of the sea and all that it contains.
- Our abilities are insignificant in comparison to the greatness of God.
- Jesus cares about our day-to-day routine in our jobs, and He understands our needs.
- Jesus was preparing Peter to exercise his faith, that would be required soon.
Following Jesus requires being Faithful, Available, and Teachable (FAT). You don’t have to push your way into importance. God will do that in His plan and in His timing with FAT people. The results are up to Him.
Just like a New Testament fishermen, we have to apply our faith, courage, patience, endurance, and determination, one day at a time, waiting on God in our employment, and in our role that He has given us to do on this earth. Then, be prepared to see a miraculous outcome on a routine day – just as Peter and the disciples did in Luke 5.
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