“He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

Luke 5:4

You may have reached a point in your life where you thought that you had already lived your best life. You may have failed to fulfill many of your life goals and dreams. A black swan event has stopped you from going any further. It could be that your business has shut down because of the pandemic. A physical injury has prevented you from accomplishing regular activities. A sickness has caused you to be bedridden and dependent on somebody else’s support to take care of you. You could be someone who has made a lot of bad choices in life and ended up where you are now: desperate, lonely, hopeless, and fearful of what the future might hold for you. You may have lost all positive expectations for yourself because you have reached the bottom. However, I want to tell you that this is not the end of your story.

Simon Peter was a mere fisherman when Jesus first met him. After Jesus taught a great multitude, he told Simon to launch into the deep and let down the nets for a catch. Simon was reluctant at first because his crew had caught nothing after toiling all night. Peter’s expectation of catching any fish was completely exhausted. Nevertheless, Peter and his crew decided to go out fishing again at the word of Jesus. The Word of God says that when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. (Luke 5:4-6) Jesus then said to Peter that he would no longer be a mere fisherman but a fisher of men.

Peter and those who followed Jesus saw the great things the Lord had done in the midst of them. Peter and the others saw and experienced firsthand how Jesus healed the sick, cast out demons, still the storms, fed thousands of people out of nothing, walked on the Sea of Galilee in a storm, and raised the dead, including Lazarus. We can all agree that Peter and the rest of the disciples lived their best lives when they were with Jesus. But as we fast forward to the days after Jesus was crucified and buried in the tomb, Peter found himself back to his old occupation as a mere fisherman with the rest of his crew. What made it worse was the thoughts that were going through Peter’s mind of how he denied that he ever knew Jesus three times. Peter knew he had betrayed Jesus and had forsaken the Lord. Peter’s dream of ever seeing the Lord again was diminished. His hope for the future of being a fisher of men and a leader to the church was shattered by his most regrettable words, “I do not know Him.” But when all hope seemed to be lost, Jesus showed up at the shore and said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.” And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. But noticed that this time their net supernaturally did not break from the multitude of fish that were caught. When one of the disciples, named John, told Peter it was the Lord, he immediately swam ashore to meet the Lord. The resurrection of Jesus not only restored Peter’s relationship with the Lord but also his faith and purpose for his life. Peter and the rest of the disciples (except Judas, who hanged himself) were able to see the resurrected Jesus with their own eyes and behold His glory as the risen Savior, who was raised to heaven. (Luke 24:51)

Today, God wants to exceed your expectations. He wants to show Himself strong on your behalf to raise you from your sickness to your wholeness. He wants to connect you with the right people to accomplish your wildest dream. He wants to present to you opportunities and greater days to come that you would never have imagined. He wants to give you all that Jesus died to give you – a resurrection life of favor, love, and grace to meet all your needs so you can forever declare his wonders and glory to the people around you.

Scripture Reading: John 21:1-11

This Devotional is from:

“Live The New You – 365 Days Devotional in Living the Real You”