“As the crowd pressed into Jesus to hear God’s Word…He saw two boats. He got into one of them, which belonged to Simon and prayed with him to put it out a little from the land. Jesus then sat down; teaching the crowds from the boat. When He had finished preaching, He said to Simon (individually), “Put (boat) out to deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Master, Simon said, “We’ve worked hard all night and caught nothing. But not my will, but Your Will be Done.” And when they did this, they caught a great number of fish…When Simon Peter (arrived) and saw this, he fell at Jesus’s knees… Amazed! And Jesus told Simon, “From now on you will be catching people!” Luke 5:1-11 CSB
During Jesus’s Ministry of the Gospel, he preached to crowds, but His message oftentimes was to individuals. His first disciples were Simon (later known as Simon Peter), Andrew, James and John (Matt 4 & Mark 1). They had been traveling through Capernaum and Galilee with Jesus in His early ministry but in Luke Chapter 5 they had gone back to their trades of fishing. True fishermen have qualities like courage, daring patience (for which I ask God daily) and determination (of which have a lot and get in trouble, grin). Jesus was about to call them to a life of full discipleship of which their fishermen qualities would be used for the Kingdom. Do you understand your qualities for God and Kingdom works?
Simon kept on working like a fisherman with a non-quitting attitude, while Jesus sat down in his boat to preach to the huge crowd of people. As Simon set captive fishing, he heard the Word of God. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” (Rom 10:17) Shortly, Simon would have to exercise “Faith” as Jesus asked him to go out into the deep water to catch fish. As an experienced fisherman, he had seen that fish gathered at the sea shore at night and went out deeper only during the day to escape the heat of the constant sun. Jesus asking him this was contrary to his training. But Simon Peter obeyed and stepped out in “Faith” “But not my will, but Your Will be Done.”
Peter was willing to submit to the authority of Jesus, his Master (v.5). Notice, Jesus started Simon’s walk of “Faith” by preparing him in incremental assignments (i.e. asking him to put the boat out a little then latter asking him to launch out into deep water). It is the duty of every child of God to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle, and by other methods in harmony with the gospel of Christ (2 Tim 4:5). We are not reservoirs, but are channels of blessings to share with others what God has graciously given to us. It may be our next assignment to go places and be uncomfortable witnessing. God Bless our “Faith” through the Holy Spirit within us for the Kingdom’s sake (1Tim 1:14) and say lik
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