GO BACK OUT!
This week I had a leadership topic to share but one of my recent readings in Luke just keeps coming back to me. I want to share with you what Luke wrote and how it has impacted me over the last few weeks. Jesus had been preaching on the shore of Galilee to a great crowd when he noticed empty boats on the shore. Jesus approached Simon (Peter) and began teaching from the boat. This is what happened next.
Luke 5:4 “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.” These are red letters, the words of Jesus!
I can imagine the look on Simon’s face – it was probably a look of confusion with one eyebrow raised when he responded to Jesus that they had just fished all night and didn’t catch anything. They were the professionals at fishing not Jesus. But Simon replied, “But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.”
The scripture tells us that when they took the boat back out, “this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear!” Simon, James, and John were so amazed when they saw what Jesus provided. Simon fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me – I’m such a sinful man.” He felt shame and unworthy because he had doubted and questioned the command from Jesus to go back out to the deep part of the sea.
Jesus met these fishermen on their level and helped them with their work. There will be seasons in our lives, in our work, in our ministries, where we won’t see fish in the boat. We may even get tired of fishing. I know this because I have walked through this season. Since March there have been so many challenges in my path: COVID, new position at work, family challenges, sadness of not being together with my friends and my church family; and I could find myself slowly letting the words of the enemy creep into my head.
But there was Jesus putting two powerful teachings in front of me on the Harvest: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few.” Matthew 9:37. And in conjunction with my readings and study in Luke. “Go back out to the deepest water and let down your nets again.” Follow the words of Jesus, don’t be tired, keep fishing for people.
Love, Heather
