Jesus in the Routine

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
Luke 5 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, 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. (Luke 5:1-11, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
Peter had toiled all night and was exhausted.  His vocation as a fisherman was hard work.  He had just finished doing what he does, day in and day out, and on that particular day all his work had been fruitless.   No fish.  I may not be a fisherman, but I can relate to fruitless days and exhaustion.  Then Jesus asks him to cast his nets yet again, and when he does there are more fish than one can imagine, to the point that the boats started to sink.  Fruit.  It was the same Peter, the same boat, the same lake, and the same area.  The same work Peter did on a daily basis, so what was the difference?  Jesus.  Jesus had said to cast his nets.  It wasn’t just a matter of Peter going through the motions of his daily vocation as usual.  Jesus wanted to bless, build up, and teach Peter something through what he did routinely.  How often do we begin our day, as routine as it may be, with the anticipation that God has something to show us, and teach us?  May our ears turn toward Him in expectation.

Peter was simply listening.  Jesus said to do something and he chose to obey.  He didn’t even obey with a great deal of faith that anything would happen.  According to verses 9-10: “But when Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.  For he was gripped with bewildering amazement [allied to terror], and all who were with him, at the haul of fish which they had made.”  God didn’t choose Peter because he was some super spiritual person or even that knowledgeable.  He didn’t choose him because he was a man of great, unwavering faith.  Rewind and remember—this is simply pre-apostle Peter, a working class man, just like you and me going about his daily business.  Until Jesus came, to slowly reveal the Peter that Jesus saw him to be.  So we don’t have to be super spiritual, we don’t even have to have a lot of faith, we simply need to know that God desires to show us things, to walk with us, to reveal in us how He has always seen us and how He see’s those around us.  All we need to do is listen and obey.  Simply be listening and be willing to do what He says.  A parent loves when their child is listening… He will answer.  I guarantee our days and lives will yield much fruit in simply doing that.


PRAYER:
Lord, we thank You that You do not choose us or love us based on how good or bad we are from one day to the next, but that Your affections for us are unwavering.  We thank You that you desire to walk with us, to talk with us, to open our eyes.  I pray that we would fix our attentions and affections on You, inviting You into the everyday things we do in expectation that You have something to show us.  Help us to be better listeners, and thank You that we hear Your voice because You are faithful.


WHO AM I?
I am Nicole Robinson. I have to say, I’m not the best at listening to God on a daily basis, but that means there’s hope for all of us because He still gets through, and directs me despite myself.  Just recently I was getting ready for an appointment while listening to worship music when the Lord started nudging me about something which would bring about a change in what I was planning to do that day.  I could’ve said… Well, that’s just me being silly and just stay the course, but fortunately I didn’t and thought, well, if it’s the Lord, as I move in that direction He’ll confirm it.  Sure enough I just listened, stepped out, then listened and stepped out and before I knew it I was driving home in total awe of what God had just set up and done. All the things I thought I was supposed to do that day, seemed to dim in light of what I had just experienced.  There is no better day than one walked with God.