One day Jesus was teaching a crowd of people. As he taught, he saw something that captured his attention. He saw two boats used for fishing by the water's edge, and the fishermen were also there washing their nets. He asked one of the fishermen to take him out on the boat a little ways from the shore. A fisherman named Simon, later to be renamed Peter, after a hard days work, agreed, and Jesus sat down in the boat and continued to teach the people.
After the message, Jesus rewards Peter, but Peter was not going to understand it in the beginning. Jesus said, Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Listen to Simon’s response: “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
Here is a thought for applying this scripture to our lives: When Jesus calls us; He takes us from shallow faith to deeper faith, but we must respond like Peter and obey.
It is Jesus that takes us from superficial, half-hearted walk with him and calls us into a deeper, more personal and real commitment to him. We may protest saying, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything…. But because you say so, I will let down the nets". In other words, "I've already been there and nothing happened. But, oh well, since it is you, I will give it one more try."
How does Jesus take us from where we are to where he wants us to be? By getting us beyond our comfort level, that's how. He pushes us away from one level of stability to a place where we are more dependent on Him. We might also mildly argue with him, saying, "Lord, I've already been there and done that. I've already tried reading the Bible, I've already prayed, and it hasn't worked.” But hopefully we won't stop there, but will continue by saying, "But if this is what you want me to do, to go once again from where I am now, then so be it."
Deeper water is scary, unstable and unfamiliar, but it is also where there are more fish. Fishermen have to go out into the deep water to catch larger and more fish, and we have to take steps of faith to grow more in God. Faith is going beyond the natural and believes in the supernatural - from the comfortable shoreline to the deeper place where you will need to be more dependent on him.
The comforting thing for us to know is that even though we don't know exactly where the boat is going, we know that Jesus is sitting in the boat with us, and he knows exactly where he wants us. The journey to the deeper water is always to help us to know God better.
So, thank God for the deep waters.
What a step of faith is God asking of you? Are you willing to push out of the comfort zone?
As for Centerpointe Church, I believe that God is taking us into deeper water, where more faith is required, where more is at stake, where more is unknown. But He is with us. He has not abandoned us. And there in the deeper water, God is telling us to let down the nets for a bigger catch.
Let us say the same as Peter, “but because you say so…”
Prayer:
Lord, I do not want to live a shallow Christian life. I want to launch out into a deeper, more fulfilling experience with you. I want to know you more, serve you more and bring more people to you.
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