Go Deeper

Posted on July 9, 2018 by America's Keswick in Victory Call

“Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” (Luke 5:4 NIV)

In the Gospel of Luke chapter 5:1-11, Jesus gets into Peter’s boat and tells him in v. 4 to “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”  Can you imagine Peter, an experienced fisherman, who had been out all night and had caught nothing? Then came Jesus telling him to go back out there?  Peter was exhausted, tired, and was cleaning his nets for the next night’s work (v. 2).  I’m sure Peter was eager to get home and get some sleep before it was time to do it all over again.

Jesus told Peter to go back out, “go deeper,” and let down the nets he had just cleaned! These verses are so much more than a “How to Fish” lesson.  What was Jesus really asking Peter to do?  He was asking Peter to trust Him and obey Him.  Peter did have a choice and I’m sure it wasn’t just a blind, snap decision for Peter to obey Jesus.  I imagine everything inside him wanted to say, “Teacher, I’m tired.  I know what I’m doing here.  I’ve been doing this all my life. I’m hungry.  I just want to go home.”  But Jesus was beckoning Peter to step out of his comfort zone, to trust Him and “go deeper,” to accomplish something greater than he could accomplish without Jesus.  Peter did just what Jesus asked of him…and the result?  Peter had a catch so huge that the nets and boats could barely contain all the fish!

There are many times Jesus calls us to “go deeper,” to take a step of faith and just trust Him even when we are tired or disappointed.  Maybe there is something bigger and better that He has planned for us and if we don’t trust Him and go deeper we will never experience His blessing.

Perhaps you have just “skimmed” the surface of the calling in your life and the abundant blessing He has for you.  Jesus …is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us (Ephesians 3:20).  I would hate to lose the abundant blessing that He has planned for me because I didn’t answer His call to “go deeper.”

Is Jesus calling you to take a step out of your comfort zone and “go deeper?”  He is right there with you…go ahead, take that step.

Mary Ann Kiernan

Mary Ann recently retired after 11 years on staff at America’s Keswick, where she served both in women’s ministry and as the Intake Manager at the Colony of Mercy.

This devotional was first published in Real Victory for Real Life Volume 2.