Excerpts from Launch Out into the Deep by Uyoyou C. Charles-Iyoha
Obedience
Luke Chapter 5 verses 1 to 9
An
interesting account of how Peter and his colleagues toiled all night fishing
and yet not a single catch. Tired, perhaps a little angry and even frustrated,
they resorted to washing their nets, an activity that should have come much
later. This is because if they had caught fish, they would be trading the fish
after clearing them from their nets. But because nothing was caught, they
washed their nets, probably in preparation for another toil. But God who gives
speed intervened in their lives. How?
He
requested the use of Peter’s boat and I am quite sure for free. Beloved, I
expected Peter to be grumpy, to request some form of remuneration after a
fruitless fishing expedition. But he left the net wash up exercise and took
Jesus to the portion of water from where He ministered to and taught the
multitudes. When Jesus was done speaking, Peter was probably glad to be free;
to join his colleagues and prepare for another fishing expedition at night.
After all, every experienced fisherman knows that the best time to fish is at
night. However, Jesus upturned all of Peter’s belief system, expertise and
experience in fishing by asking Peter to launch out into the deep and to let
down his nets for a catch. Peter must have been skeptical. He was the
fisherman, an experienced one of means - he owned a boat and worked with a
number of other fishermen. Besides, they had toiled all night and if that was
fruitless, was it this one in the day time that would yield any fruit? This
stranger asking him to launch out into the deep at that time of the day was no
fisherman; He did not own a boat and had just finished teaching the people.
From all indications, He was a prophet, a rabbi or some religious person. So
why ask him to launch out into the deep?
Yet
and this is quite significant. Peter obeyed a second time irrespective of the
timing and the pedigree of this stranger in fishing. Also, really important to
note is that Peter referred to Him as Master even when he did not know that he
was beside the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Creator of the heavens and
the earth to whom everything responded in total obedience.
Beloved,
obedience to God is always a key to the miraculous. God acted in Peter’s favor
and fishes flocked to the nets. What they did not catch all night, had probably
never caught in their entire lives filled the boat. The Bible records that they
were astonished at the catch. In less than the amount of time it takes them to
make their regular catches that sent them back to the waters always, they
caught what would give them sustainable income for the rest of their lives.
Obedience to God opened a floodgate of unusual overwhelming abundant catch that
skyrocketed Peter and his colleagues from the league of comfortable fishermen
to wealthy fishermen. In less than twelve hours God made them what they had
always desired. They gave up fishing for fish for fishing for men.
Obedience
to God gave them divine speed above their peers and colleagues. Are you seeking
divine speed in any area of your life, then be obedient to God. Obey every one
of His divine instructions and you will be amazed at how fast God responds and
how all of nature works in tandem with God.
Additionally,
Peter was a very diligent person. He had toiled all night, yet he did not
resort to sleep. He was busily engaged washing nets (a physical activity) when
Jesus requested yet another physical activity of him – move the boat away from
the land. Without complaining he obeyed and just when Peter thought he was
already free for the day after Jesus had finished speaking, Jesus asked him to
launch out into the deep. All of these activities were spiritually, physically
and mentally demanding calling for diligence. Peter was spiritually, physically
and mentally diligent as well as obedient. He gained speed, abundance, as well
as a position amongst the disciples of Jesus Christ. Significantly, Jesus
handed the leadership of the early Church to Peter in spite of his weaknesses
(Matthew Chapter 16 verses 13 to 19).
Physical
diligence is great, mental diligence is greater but spiritual diligence is
greatest. While the mentally diligent will always have an edge over the
physically diligent, the spiritually diligent will always have an edge over
both. However, it is really profitable to have and exercise all three.
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