Luke 5:10-11: ‘And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.’ (NKJV)
Read Luke 5:1-11
Everyone God made, He made for a purpose; He strategically places His children all over the world to accomplish His divine purpose. That morning when Peter was washing his nets, how could he have known that he had not been able to catch fish all night because he needed to be at the shore to meet the Messiah in the morning?
The story in Luke 5:1-11 describes how Jesus called Simon Peter to become His disciple. Simon was a fisherman who would later become a great apostle and a formidable leader in the early church. Jesus was teaching at the shore when He noticed two boats He could use. He decided to get into Peter’s boat and Peter obliged Him by moving farther away from the shore.
Luke 5:3: ‘Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat’’ (NKJV)
Simon was under no obligation to give his boat to the teacher at the shore but he did. Do you have something that could be of use to the Master? Like Peter, we should be willing to give our talents, possession, and service for the spread of the gospel. And we can be assured that we will be rewarded for our sacrifices to God’s work. Peter and his friends had a net-breaking catch!
However, more importantly than giving our “boats” (what we have) for God’s use, He wants us to surrender our very lives (who we are) to Him so that we carry Him wherever we go and become vehicles of His gospel to the world.
Luke 5:10: ‘… And Jesus said to Simon, “… From now on you will catch men.”’ (NKJV)
God wants our lives to preach His gospel. He does not just want our possessions and talents without a total commitment of our entire being to Him. He wants us to be His ambassadors, representatives of His kingdom who will shine the light of Christ and draw others to be reconciled to God.
Luke 5:8,10: ‘When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”… And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid…(NKJV)
It does not matter what your story is or where you are coming from. The Lord knows and still He bids you to come. All He asks is that you forsake all and follow Him.
2 Corinthians 5:17-20: ‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.’ (NKJV)
PRAYER: Lord, thank you that it has pleased You to call me to be Your ambassador. I surrender everything to You, Lord – all that I have and all that I am. I ask that You please help me to follow You every day of my life and to be a true fisher of men.