Post by MIRIAM JACOB on Nov 21, 2009 4:38:19 GMT -5
“Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch” (Luke 5:4).
This particular “fishing story” in Luke 5 is one of my favorites, perhaps because I can so relate to the frustrated fishermen. How like me they were! I have my own self-imposed routines and comfortable formats to enable me to get through my daily to-do lists, don’t you? But I also have a Lord and Savior who is quite adept at “rocking my boat.”
These fishermen had been following the norm of fishing at night but had caught nothing. They had fished in all the best spots—still nothing. Then here comes Jesus and tells them to “launch out into the deep.” Not only was He instructing them to venture beyond their comfort zone, but he was telling them to do so at a time when no one else was throwing out their nets. And yet, His instructions implied that if they would obey Him and fish according to His direction rather than the generally accepted wisdom of the day, they would land a sizeable catch.
How many times have we found ourselves frustrated, just like those fishermen, because we’ve done all the “right” things and yet produced no results? Then along comes Jesus and says, “Try something different. Forget what the world tells you is the wise or prudent thing to do, and follow my instructions instead.”
“But Lord, Your instructions don’t make sense!”
“No one’s ever caught anything that way before!”
“All the polls and pundits say it won’t work!”
“I don’t think I’m capable of doing that, Lord!”
We’ve all responded in similar ways at one time or another, haven’t we? But the bottom line is, we’re scared. Launching out into the deep when nearly everyone else is staying safely on shore is not an appealing scenario. But the alternative is that we can remain on shore with those who insist on following their own way and producing nothing—or we can take a chance and obey the instructions of the Master Fisherman.
It all comes down to one thing: Are we hear to catch fish…or to spend time on the shoreline, inventing new and better ways to fish and discussing how best to implement them? If we choose the latter, we may be the best-equipped fishermen around, but we have no fish to show for it.
I, for one, plan to launch out into the deep and do some serious fishing. How about you?
© KATHI MACIAS
www.kathimacias.com
kathieasywritermacias.blogspot.com
This particular “fishing story” in Luke 5 is one of my favorites, perhaps because I can so relate to the frustrated fishermen. How like me they were! I have my own self-imposed routines and comfortable formats to enable me to get through my daily to-do lists, don’t you? But I also have a Lord and Savior who is quite adept at “rocking my boat.”
These fishermen had been following the norm of fishing at night but had caught nothing. They had fished in all the best spots—still nothing. Then here comes Jesus and tells them to “launch out into the deep.” Not only was He instructing them to venture beyond their comfort zone, but he was telling them to do so at a time when no one else was throwing out their nets. And yet, His instructions implied that if they would obey Him and fish according to His direction rather than the generally accepted wisdom of the day, they would land a sizeable catch.
How many times have we found ourselves frustrated, just like those fishermen, because we’ve done all the “right” things and yet produced no results? Then along comes Jesus and says, “Try something different. Forget what the world tells you is the wise or prudent thing to do, and follow my instructions instead.”
“But Lord, Your instructions don’t make sense!”
“No one’s ever caught anything that way before!”
“All the polls and pundits say it won’t work!”
“I don’t think I’m capable of doing that, Lord!”
We’ve all responded in similar ways at one time or another, haven’t we? But the bottom line is, we’re scared. Launching out into the deep when nearly everyone else is staying safely on shore is not an appealing scenario. But the alternative is that we can remain on shore with those who insist on following their own way and producing nothing—or we can take a chance and obey the instructions of the Master Fisherman.
It all comes down to one thing: Are we hear to catch fish…or to spend time on the shoreline, inventing new and better ways to fish and discussing how best to implement them? If we choose the latter, we may be the best-equipped fishermen around, but we have no fish to show for it.
I, for one, plan to launch out into the deep and do some serious fishing. How about you?
© KATHI MACIAS
www.kathimacias.com
kathieasywritermacias.blogspot.com