Thursday Thought – September 17, 2015

Good Morning Friends,

"Jesus 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. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, 'Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.' 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.' When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break." (Luke 5:3-6)

What would you do -- just because Jesus said so?

Jesus wasn't the expert on fishing -- He was a rabbi, a teacher. In fact, the people He gave advice to were the experts. Simon was a commercial fisherman. If anyone knew where to throw a net to catch fish, Simon did. If anyone knew when it was a waste of time to try fishing, Simon did.

Simon and his partners had fished all night and had not caught any fish. It was morning, when a crowd gathered to hear Jesus teach. My understanding of fishing on the Sea of Galilee is that nighttime is the best time to catch fish. Daytime doesn't work nearly as well.

Commercial fishermen had fished during the prime catching time and caught nothing. Now a rabbi asks them to throw the net out during less than prime catching time. Would you have done what Jesus asked?

Simon and the other fishermen did, and Jesus was proven right -- really right. It was such a huge haul of fish the nets began to break. Jesus wasn't the expert, but He did know what He was talking about.

So, what areas of your life do you think you really have a handle on how to do things? In what areas are you the expect? In what areas do you not need anyone's advice, not even Jesus' advice?

Are you sure? Perhaps like Simon, you need to listen to whatever Jesus says -- even His advice in the area of your expertise.

His, by Grace, Steve