Jump Start # 3513

Luke 5:5 “And Simon answered and said, ‘Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but at Your biding I will let down the nets.”

Jesus stood in the boat and taught the multitudes that were on the shoreline. When He finished, He told Peter to launch out into the deep and put down his nets for a catch. Wishful thinking, Peter might have thought. Peter let the Lord know that they had already tried that. We not only worked, but we have worked hard and we worked all night. We gave it our best shot, but nothing. We caught nothing. We are tired, dirty and discouraged. We are ready to go home. This is not the day to catch fish. Maybe, tomorrow will be better.

But, the words of Jesus had a sense of assurance about them. Maybe Jesus did know something. At your bidding I will, Peter says. Others express this as: I will do as You say; if You say so; because you say so.

This statement came from a submissive heart. Maybe Jesus does know more than we do. Maybe the Lord can see what we cannot see. The Lord never wants to hurt us, make fun of us, or see us fail. Maybe, just maybe, the Lord knows what He is talking about.

“At Your biding I will…”

Consider:

First, there are times when we have to be honest and simply do things God’s way. Peter could have held his ground, stating that he was the fisherman and Jesus was a teacher and a carpenter. Stay in your lane, Jesus. I’ve got this. I know all about this. I know fish. I know how to fish. Put in the topic: money, growing a church, parenting, dealing with depression, we think we’ve got a handle on those things. What does Jesus know about fish? What does Jesus know about depression? Stay in your lane, Jesus. We know.

And, then we hear Peter saying, at your bidding Lord, I will. When we come to that understanding, we realize that Jesus is in all lanes. Jesus knows about everything. One cannot improve upon what God has done.

Second, when Jesus said the very hairs on our heads are numbered, we realize that God knows things about us that even we do not know. If you had to guess, within ten, how many hairs are on your head, most couldn’t do it and it would still be a guess. God knows. And, if God knows how many hairs are on your head, He knows about your heart. He knows what tempts you. He knows your strengths. He knows your weaknesses. God knows you better than you know yourself. And, so when we proudly say, I can’t do that, God knows you can. I can’t forgive. Yes, you can. How do you know that? God says you can. When you think you cannot do any more. God knows you can.

At Your bidding Lord, I will.

Third, when we are tired, discouraged and ready to go home, God knows that we can do a little bit more. Cast out into the deep and lower those nets, beckons us. It calls us when we say, “I can’t teach another class.” “I can’t do any more hospitality.” When our hearts say, “We can’t,” the Lord says, “Cast out into the deep and lower your nets.”

Sometimes our efforts show very little results. Peter had worked hard. Peter had worked all night. And, what was there to show for that? Nothing. Another sermon to preach. Another class to teach. Another sad story to listen to. Another teen to advise. Another young couple to encourage. Another email to write. Another text to send. Another visit to the hospital. Another funeral home visitation to go to. Tired. Worked hard all night. Just ready to go home and try another day, the Lord says, “cast out into the deep and lower your nets.” So, we do. So, we shall. And, this time, the results may be amazing.

At Your biding Lord, I will…

Roger

Jump Start # 2396

Luke 5:5 “And Simon answered and said, ‘Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but at Your biding I will let down the nets.”

Our verse for today is powerful. Often we sit in that boat with Peter and we have to make a decision. Peter and the others were sitting at the edge of the sea. It was the end of a work day. They were washing their nets. It was time to put up the gear and go home. It hadn’t been a good day. These were not guys going fishing on the weekend. Peter was a commercial fisherman. Catching no fish meant no paycheck. It meant tough times, especially if this continued on. It had been a long night and they had nothing to show for it.

Jesus comes and tells them to cast back out into the deep and to lower their nets. There are several things concerning about this.

First, Jesus was a carpenter and a teacher. He wasn’t a fisherman. That’s Peter’s line of expertise. Peter wasn’t new at this. He understood water, fish boats and nets. Jesus understood wood. He understood how to saw, cut and put things together. Jesus could make a cabinet for you. Jesus would fix a broken chair. But the carpenter was telling the fisherman how to fish. Most odd.

Second, it was the wrong time of day to do this. Our verse tells us that they had been fishing all night. Night was over. Now it was daytime. They knew that the best fishing was done at night. Jesus wanted them to go out now. Jesus is showing that He doesn’t know much about fishing.

Third, there was no evidence that this would work. They went at the best time and got nothing. Now the carpenter was telling them to go at the wrong time. This could be a huge waste of time. They were tired. They had been at this all night. What did Jesus know?

Fourth, Jesus wanted them to cast out into the deep. Peter wasn’t fishing with poles, but with weighted nets. The deep was the wrong place to do that. They knew, but did Jesus?

However, our verse shows a great lesson. Peter says, “at your biding I will.” The KJV says, “Nevertheless.” Nevertheless I will. This shows something about Peter. He didn’t argue with Jesus. He didn’t say, “Lord, you stick to the teaching and let me do the fishing.” At the heart of all disagreements is the principle that I think I am right and you are not. If I thought you were right, then there would be no disagreement. I’m right and you’re not. This is at the center of arguments in marriage, with teens, with co-workers, and even among brethren. I think I’m right and I don’t think you are. When we disagree, we tend to dig our heels in. We talk faster and louder. We become frustrated and walk away. But we don’t find that here. Peter said, “Nevertheless, at Thy word I will let down the net.” Peter didn’t disagree. He had many reasons to, but he didn’t.

And, this is where we find ourselves sitting in the boat with Peter. We disagree with what God’s word says. We just feel that we know better. We feel that time and culture has moved on and those ancient words just don’t matter much anymore. The scientists tell us that rocks, fossils, the solar system, the ocean all point to a system of evolving mechanisms that took millions and millions of years to develop. The Bible says God created everything in six days. What does God know about science? What does God know about rocks? And, there we sit with Peter in the boat. Are we going to argue with God or will we say, Nevertheless, at Thy word, I will believe.

When truth doesn’t matter, it’s easy to make a decision. Just do whatever you feel like. Do what makes you happy. When truth is laid aside, no one is ever wrong. Everything is ok, it just a matter of how it makes you feel. Without truth, life is like playing a game with no rules. However, we find that there are rules. There are rules of the road. Ignore them, and you’ll be getting a ticket. There are rules at school. Mess those up and you are expelled. There are rules at work. We sometimes call those the policies of the company. Violate those and you’re out of a job. But when it comes to spiritual things, people want to think what God says really doesn’t matter. What God says about parenting? What God says about worship? What God says about worry? What God says about attitudes? And, here we are in the boat with Peter. We know better than He does. We know what works. God tells us to cast out into the deep and lower our nets. We are thinking, “No, that won’t work.” But Peter said, “Nevertheless, at Thy word, I will…” .

And, do you remember what happened when Peter listened to the Lord? They caught so much fish that the nets began to break. Another boat was called to help them. Both boats were filled with so many fish that they nearly sunk. And, for a professional fisherman like Peter, this was the catch of a lifetime. They had never caught this many fish before. Selling all these fish would bank roll them for months. And, what it showed Peter is that indeed Jesus knew more than he did. They caught nothing on their own. With Jesus, it was the catch of a lifetime.

And, when we are in that boat with Peter, we might just learn that Jesus does know more than we do. Jesus knows how to walk pure in this world. Jesus knows how to connect with people. Jesus know how to communicate and talk with people. Jesus knows what we need to do to be saved. Jesus knows what pleases God in worship. Jesus knows that forgiveness is always best. Jesus knows.

Nevertheless, at Thy word, I will…

Can you say that? You need to.

Roger