December 18, 2017

Launch Out into the Deep 

"When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, 'Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."  Lk. 5:4

We find Jesus by the water as many want to hear the word of God.  The Lord spots two empty boats; empty because the fishermen were off washing their nets.  They had endured a frustrating night of fishing and hadn’t caught a thing.  In their minds, the work was finished for the day.

 Jesus climbs into the boat of Simon and asks Simon to help him get the boat out into the water.  Once there, the Lord begins to teach the multitudes.  We can only imagine what is going through Simon Peter’s head at this point.  Once He had finished teaching, Jesus then turns to Simon and says, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 

Simon’s response is so often like our own:  LORD, we tried and haven’t; caught a thing!  We’ve been out there all night – the best time to fish – there was NOTHING!  I’m tired, I’ve been trying, and frankly, I don’t why you would do such a thing.  Some of us have been praying to God for a long time and haven’t heard a THING!  Some of us have been waiting for our healing to come for a long time – it feels like that dark season of the night  - and we haven’t received a THING!   We’ve been waiting for our whole family to be saved – praying and praying – and we haven’t seen a THING!

Sometimes, the Lord says to us, go out a little further, into the deep, the unknown, the places you haven’t been with Me, go there and then beloved one, lower your net.  It’s scary, it’s new; these are the new places in our journey with God.  We can’t see the bottom anymore when we go deeper.  The water may be more turbulent.  And why would we go?  Why should we go?  Our nets are empty Lord!  Our faith level is waning, and our doubt level is rising. 

Jesus says to us, go deeper.  Trust Me.  Go further.  Believe Me.  Launch out a little more.  I will not leave you, nor forsake you.  A little more.  Good.  Now a little more.  You can do it.  You don’t have to see to believe.  Good.  Now – lower your nets. 

Simon had a moment of choice.  So do we.  He said, “nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”  By faith, Simon lowered that net.  He went out deeper and he lowered the net.  Despite the way it looked:  fishing at the worst time, not the best; tired and frustrated; no results; Simon demonstrated faith: the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.  He went out there and he lowered those nets.  Some have to see to believe. Simon just BELIEVED.

So too, by faith we can launch out deeper with the Lord, as deep calls unto deep.  We can choose to say, Lord, I haven’t seen anything yet, but okay, at Your word, I will lower this net.  I will do it by faith.  It’s all I have left.  It worked for Simon Peter.  Maybe it will work for me.  And so, by faith we go deeper, deeper still.  We wait, hear the word of the Lord, and obey – lowering our nets. 

“And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.”  The second boat was summoned; and both boats were overloaded with fish, to the point of sinking.    Simon dropped in humility before Jesus.  Everyone there was astonished at the catch, the abundant catch.

If you’ve been waiting and haven’t got an answer, the Lord might be saying to you today, “Child of mine, let’s go deeper.  Let’s take a step of faith.  Remember wherever you go, I’ll be there.  Follow Me to a place that is new to you.  Once we’re there, lower your net.  By faith, lower your net.  There’s an abundant catch waiting for you.”