Luke 5:1-11
Simon Peter and his coworkers had just spent all night desperately trying to catch fish, any fish, just one fish. They probably exhausted their repertoire of tricks and knowledge, skimming the lake from corner to corner, only to come up with bits of trash, sticks, and seaweed. And after being up all night, they had given up and were packing it in. They were probably wondering how they were going to make ends meet that month. Then, at that time, during the moment when they were discouraged and hopeless, Jesus asks them for their boat, so he can use it to teach from. And they allow Jesus to use the thing that had failed them.
When Jesus is done using it, he tells them "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." (v.4)
Simon Peter explains to Jesus how hopeless their situation was. . . "But because you say so, I will let down the nets." (v.5)
Picture then the biggest catch of fish these fisherman had ever seen in all their years of experience. The Dream Catch. The catch they could live off of for who knows how long. They hit the Jackpot of Fish. And Simon Peter hits the floor, overcome with the realization of the power and perfection of the man that stood before him. Then Jesus comforts him, and gives him the call of a lifetime. . . "You see that power I just demonstrated in your normal, everyday life? Now let's use it to transform the world."
Then Peter and his buddies leave everything. . . they just had the biggest success of their life, the success they never even had the capacity to dream of, and they left it, and followed Jesus. They didn't get overtaken by the blessing God had given them, but instead were enraptured by the source from where it came.
How does this speak to your life? Is there something in your life that you've been working hard at all night, and you've come to the conclusion that it's hopeless?
Is Jesus asking to use it for his purpose, so he can teach others from it?
Has he asked you to do something you KNOW won't work?
Will you obey because he says it will work?
Will you worship him when it does. . . beyond your expectations?
And once you are overwhelmed with the blessing, will you leave it all, and follow him?
Monday, December 3, 2007
"We've worked hard all night long..."
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2 comments:
I was just re-listening to a tape by John Paul Jackson. I think the topic fits nicely with this lesson. I first heard this several months ago. I know it has made a big difference in the way I live my life.
“Private victories are the issue of little things that you do. Like opening the door when God says, “Open the door for somebody.” Calling somebody when God says to call somebody. Praying for somebody when God says to pray for him or her. What we typically do with these small things called ‘private victories’ is treat them as if they don’t have any consequences. But they do have consequences. The consequence is that when you miss an opportunity for private victory, you now have a private defeat. That causes problems.
When you have a request from God to do something and you fail to do it, it is a private defeat. And a history of private defeat leaves you with certain feelings. A history of private failure will set you up to live in a lifestyle and in an atmosphere of fear.
As you develop a history of failing you soon will begin to expect to fail. When you expect to fail, you now hate change. You don’t want change because change to you means the opportunity to fail one more time. So you don’t want change. You want things to remain stable, the way they always have been, because any change means failure. So you expecting to fail leads to fear anything that presents itself, because that is another opportunity to fail. You will eventually fear change because it represents one more opportunity to not pass the test that God has given you. Past failures will breed a fear of failure and open the door for demonic attack on your life. Here is how it works:
1. What you focus on, you make room for.
2. What you fear you empower.
Fear and faith are the exact same thing. They are the belief that something unseen is going to come to pass.
Fear is the belief that something that is unseen that is harmful is going to come to pass.
Faith is the belief that something that is unseen that is beneficial is going to come to pass.
What you focus on you make room for. When you focus on things that are negative, you make room for negative things. When you focus on your failures, you will make room for more failures in your life. Fear leads to anxiety and Proverbs tells us that anxiety leads to depression. God want to cast out all fear. God wants to lead you with an expectation that good is going to happen to you. The expectation of His love being poured out upon you.”
Thanks for another message (and response) that spoke to my heart. I have had something on the edge of my mind since September that I've come to realize in the past week is the Lord calling me to reach out to someone. I haven't yet acted on this because I've been so overwhelmed with work, personal commitments, etc. I was thinking about it again last week in my small group, as we are studying Ruth and how God used Boaz to help, protect, and minister to Ruth after she chose to leave her god and country, and follow the God of her mother-in-law. This is just another reminder that I need to act on this little bug in my ear because I know now that God is calling me to do this.
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