The treasure of having Christ in us
But He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.” “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again. Luke 5:2-5
When the Lord Jesus Christ made His call to His first disciples it was not during time of relaxation but in the midst of busy and crowded work. After He taught the crowd, He turned to the disciples who were done with their fishing that evening with no catch. Peter had fished all night without success. His was not just a meager catch; he had caught nothing, even though he was a skilled and professional fisherman. He did a whole night of work without anything to show of how much effort he exerted. Then Jesus told him to launch out into the deep and to cast out his nets for a catch. Peter resisted at first but knowing the one who was commanding him, he obeyed. No one knows how to help us in times of failure as Jesus does! He will not overlook our shortcoming or simply encourage us to do better the next time. What He will do is to give us victory in the midst of our failure. How humbling it must have been for Peter to be told again to launch into the deep after a night of failure. Yet, he knew he needed to respond for the one commanding him was his “Master.” They already had seen and experienced the power of the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. So Peter and the other fishermen went back to the water and “And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! (v. 6) The narrative did not end with the big catch but Peter’s falling down before the Lord. “When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man” (v. 8). He saw beyond the miracle and saw himself needing forgiveness. For Peter, that moment was not about the achievement of having a big catch but to realize that before him was his Lord and Master that he needed to trust and be dependent upon. Security is not about achievement, it is about knowing that even when you fail there is a God that loves you. The truth is you can have full nets and yet still feel empty within for what really satisfies is found only in the Lord. “Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69).
Blessings,
Noel De Guzman www.my-wbc.com
YouTube Channel: http://bit.ly/1C7Jnc5
