Greetings, brothers and sisters in Christ and children of God,
As a child, when someone of authority told you to do something, you listened and obeyed, did you not? When you tell your children to do something, you expect them to listen and obey, do you not? Do you still listen and obey those in authority when they tell you to do something? What if you did not understand why you are being told to do it, would you still do it?
Luke 5:1-11 is the story of Jesus speaking on the shores of Lake Gennesaret. The fishermen had just come in from the night fishing and had worked very hard, but caught nothing. Jesus had stepped into Simon’s boat and asked Simon to take the boat out. Reluctantly, Simon did. Jesus instructed Simon to drop his nets. Simon, respectively, told Jesus that they had worked hard all night, and nothing, but because he said so, he would do it. Allow me to point out that in this verse, Simon referred to Jesus as Master (verse 5), but this was a sign of respect, not recognizing Jesus for who he truly was.
Once Simon dropped the nets, the nets were filled with so many fish that they nearly broke the nets and almost pulled the boats under. There were so many fish that other fishermen had to come and help pull them in. It was at this moment that Simon realized Jesus was Lord (verse 8). It was at this time that Jesus called Simon and others to be fishers of men. Thus, the journey for Simon began.
Simon said yes to taking the boat out, but imagine he had not said yes to dropping the nets. His journey may have ended right then, just because he chose not to listen and obey. We tend to see things through our human eyes, which can stump our faith. We also do not listen well, and sometimes when we do, we choose not to obey.
Just because we do not see what is ahead of us, does not mean there is not something better for us. If we trust God and listen to Him and obey, even when it makes no sense, our journey will be fulfilling. Do not just go halfway with Jesus, but go all the way and let down your nets and let God change you and your life. Fulfill the journey that God has for you.
Last week, the little lambs learned about Shavuot, which is a holiday that the Jews celebrate for Moses bringing down from Mt. Sinai the Ten Commandments and the Word of God. This week, we will be learning about Pentecost and how it connects to the holiday of Shavuot.
I look forward to worshiping the Lord our God with you tomorrow, with songs of praise, and dancing before Him. If, for whatever reason, I do not see you tomorrow, may the Lord bless you with joy, peace, and love, and may He comfort you, heal you, and instruct you when you need it.
God bless you,
Your brother in Christ
Michael (aka Mr. Michael)
