They ran their boats ashore, and walked away at the very height of success.
Nothing had gone right that night. Even the easiest to catch fish had eluded them.
While washing their nets a man stepped into the boat and asked to be taken onto the water. He sat, and began to teach the crowd on shore, with understanding about God they had never experienced.
When He finished, He graciously thanked them by telling them to drop the nets they had just cleaned, back into the murky waters.
“Master,” Peter said in his most respectable tone, “we’ve been doing this all night – they just aren’t around now. But, because you’ve said the word…”
SPLASH!
As if a dog who heard it’s master’s whistle, the fish all gathered into the nets until the “pop” of breaking threads was heard.
Trembling, Peter and his partners, James and John fell at Jesus feet. “Please, leave! I am a sinner.” Said Peter, in awe.
His gentle smile and His words quickly calmed their fear.
“Come with Me. From now on you will be catching men.”
And leaving everything – their amazing catch, their nets in need of mending, and their boat which cost them so much to purchase – they followed Christ.
He showed them His authority over life, then invited them to walk away into an unknown.
He invited them to walk away from the comfort of the familiar and walk in an unpredictable wilderness to find their true purpose.
To live a life never experienced by any man since Adam – to literally walk with Christ, God wrapped as man.
Has your choice to follow Christ ever cost you anything?
God has been speaking to my heart lately. Maybe he has to yours as well.
The things He has shown to me are things I must surrender to find my true calling. Never has my faith cost me anything. Never has my faith required that I unfurl each finger that binds my hand to this world and take step in another direction.
I’ve had to walk away from so much to follow Christ. My heart has broken into a million pieces many times.
Where He has called me to follow I’ve never gone before – though in some ways I’ve been preparing for this my whole life.
We must surrender everything, so that Christ can use us. We must surrender our gifts and talents and time to Him. Only in this way can we discover what we are made to do. Yes, we know how to use each one of these, and have great fun in developing them. But they were placed in us by God. He gave them for the use of them in us. We must like Peter James and John be willing to be used in ways we never expected. Who learns to fish to become a preacher. Yet God knows how to use all things for His purposes if only we will bring our ship into the shore.
Perhaps with this new year, it is time to bring your boat ashore, out of the wind and waves, to find your true purpose.
Seven years ago I ran my boat ashore – and followed Him into the unknown.
Have you ever had to surrender anything to walk with Christ?
Latest posts by Diane W. Bailey (see all)
- What God Can Do with A Shattered Heart - September 5, 2022
- When It Is Time to Bring Your Ship Ashore - January 2, 2018
- Art Of Hospitality – How to Love Others As Ourselves - November 27, 2017
Nathan Morris from Shake the Nations spoke during a 3 day revival at our church about 2 weeks ago. He talked about this – about Jesus using Peter’s boat – and his great failure (to have returned with broken, empty nets). Morris said, “To Peter – it was a boat. To Jesus it was a platform. Are you using your boat (college degree, skill set, blog etc) as a platform to Jesus?” That just went straight to my heart. You are asking the same thing – such good food for thought at the beginning of 2018! I cannot wait to hear about where Jesus leads you!