God Calling

 Luke 5:1-11

Jesus Calls His First Disciples

5 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,^[a] the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. ² He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. ³ He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

⁴ When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

⁵ Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

⁶ When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. ⁷ So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

⁸ When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” ⁹ For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, ¹⁰ and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” ¹¹ So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

In these topsy-turvy days of re-arranged schedules, working on line, limited social contact and on and on, we can be as discouraged as the apostles over their fruitless night of fishing.   Very discouraging and tiring, all of  this.  Jesus saw their dismay and immediately remedied it.  Would that the solution to our problems be so magically fast.  Sometimes it is, and problems just disappear in an instant; other times it's a slow, agonizing process, but in both instances Jesus is there for us; calling for our attention; there are no boundaries to his love and care.   We need to remind ourselves of this not only daily, but often during the day by lifting our minds and hearts to him as we drive, work, or converse with people.  It takes time to get into this routine, but one of the blessings of the pandemic is extra time on our hands...May we use it well and may it foster a deeper relationship with our loving God.

Bro. Rene