Cast Your Nets Into the Deep Water

Lord willing, about four weeks from now, I’ll be on a boat on the Sea of Galilee with our Israel Trip team! This boat ride on the Sea of Galilee is one of my favorite things we do during our Israel trips. Jesus did so many of his miracles on or around this harp-shaped body of water in Galilee. 

When we take our Israel Trip teams to this part of the Holy Land, one of the Bible passages I emphasize is Luke 5:1-11, where Jesus told Peter to go out to the deep water and cast his nets. Peter obeyed and then caught so many fish that his boat and his friends’ boat both began to sink! Peter and crew had worked hard all night and caught no fish, but when he obeyed Jesus and went out to the deep water, they caught so many fish their nets began to break!

This story leads to these fisherman leaving everything and following Jesus! 

This is such a great lesson for us, Jesus’ followers today. We can work really hard in our own strength and not get good results, but when we hear and obey the voice of the Lord, great things happen…for the sake of God’s Kingdom advancement!

Think about how Jesus left the riches of heaven to come to earth and be our sacrificial Lamb. That is the most profound example of going out to the deep water! 

To what “deep water” Jesus calling you to go? Prayerfully hear His voice and obey his commands. It might not be easy and it might not even make sense to you, but when you obey the Lord’s direction to go, you can and will experience His presence and power in a way that leads you to follow Him no matter what the cost.

2 Corinthians 8:9 says: “You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.”

As we experience this Christmas season, don’t miss the connection between Jesus’ incarnation and Jesus’ mission. He went to the “deep water” for us, and now He is calling us to go to the deep water to serve Him.

Going into the deep water is riskier and more costly than staying in the shallow water, but the rewards are so amazing and worth it!