LAUNCH OUT INTO THE DEEP

When Jesus had done preaching, He told Peter to apply His Word to the business of his calling or profession. In other words, the wonderful time we spend in church services and what we learn or receive into our spirit can only be put to work outside church walls. On week days, in our work place and daily activities, our public exercises, and our worldly business transactions, these are exactly where the real tests of faith take place. In those places, we put our faith to work and demonstrate what we've learnt.

Reference: Luke 5:4-7 Authorized King James Version (AKJV) 'Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.'

In Luke 5, we find an interesting story of how 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 the disciples who had fished all night and caught nothing, '"Launch out deep and let down your nets"...and when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish' (Luke 5:4-6 NKJV). The thickness of the shoals of fish is almost incredible to any one who has not witnessed them. They often cover an area of more than an acre, and when the fishes move slowly forward in a mass, and are rising out of the water, they are packed so close together that it appears as if a heavy rain was beating down on the surface of the water. So you can imagine what it means and the quality of the miracle that took place when the Bible says, 'they caught a great number of fish.' Notice these three things about life, especially in your walk with God: The first is 'working harder isn't necessarily the answer'. The disciples 'toiled all night'. Nobody could've questioned their work ethic. But when you fish in water that's too shallow, no amount of effort will bring desired result. The second is 'You need to readily and quickly respond to God's Word or divine instruction, even when it doesn't make sense to you'. Peter a seasoned fisherman, had to set aside his expertise and say, 'Nevertheless at your Word I will...' Remember the story of Naaman in 2 Kings chapter 5? He had to humble himself and bathe in the Jordan in order to be healed of leprosy. In Gethsemane, Jesus displayed the same attitude when He prayed, 'Not my will, but yours be done' (Luke 22:42 NIV 2011 Edition). The third lesson is 'Going deeper always works'. Jesus said two men built houses, but only one house survived the storm because the builder 'dug deep and laid the foundation on rock' (Luke 6:48 NIV 2011 Edition). Though the disciples toiled all night, they went deeper by applying the words of Jesus (Luke 5:5 NIV). That means, whenever we desire something from the Lord, we must not easily quit or forgo our desires because we have not had the success we desire to see. We are likely to prevail, if we go deeper sacrificially and refuse to give in to disappointments and lying vanities (see Jonah 2:8 KJV). That's your golden news for today! Scripture Reading - 2 Kings 5:10-14; Matthew 7:8; Luke 6:46-49; John 21:6. Guided Prayer: Dear Father, I thank you for the privilege you've given me to approach you in faith through your precious Word and by the Holy Spirit at all times. I'm forever grateful for the tremendous blessings and impact it brings to my spirit. By launching out into the deep, my spirit is conditioned to walk in your perfect will and produce desired results in every area of my life, in Jesus, Name, Amen!