The Fishermen

by Joey Davis

It was morning and we were exhausted. I don't know how many of you have ever worked all night before, but it will bow your back for sure. What made things worse is that we had worked for nothing. You see, we expected to have a huge profit from our catch, but all we got for our work was sore backs and salty nets.

That's when He showed up! For some reason He wanted us to go back in the water, and said something about fishing in deep water.. He must have lost his mind.

I can't recall what it was about Him that made me want to obey Him, but now I understand. I had every reason to ignore Him, but somehow I couldn't.

He was an unemployed Rabbi. I was a professional fisherman. Why should I listen to His fishing advice? Would a lawyer listen to the advice of a cobbler in a legal matter? Nevertheless I listened.

He told us to go into deep water. Any fisherman worth his salt knows that you .don't use nets to fish in deep water. If he water is deeper than your nets Me long, you're wasting your time! Besides that, all of the fish are near the bank anyway. In Gennesaret, the fish trap shad minnows against the bank and then rush into their schools for the feast. There are no catchable fish in the deep. Nevertheless, I went into the deep.

It was daytime. I had never heard of a fisherman fishing in the light of day. I always thought that fish only came out at night and that they spent the rest of their time in the bottom of the deepest parts of the lake. Nevertheless, we burned daylight in our boats.

I was exhausted. Even if we got out into the deep and caught a few fish, I would be too tired to fool with them when we returned to shore. Besides, I had people to see, places to go, and things to do. I needed my rest so that I could survive to work another day. Nevertheless, I ordered my men to obey this itinerant preacher.

Well, I'm sure you know the rest of the story, we hauled in an unbelievable load of fish. All because we listened to Jesus. Then He commanded us to fish for men in the same way. . .

. . . Following the command to catch men requires the same obedience and dedication that Peter exemplified. You never know the time or place where you may have an opportunity to harvest souls. Weariness and/or being too busy is no excuse for not fishing. And just like in this story, being led by Jesus is the key to success.

• Agape Love -Jan 03, 1999
• Your Accent -Mar 06, 1996
• Peter -Apr 09, 1995
• Peter -Sep 04, 1994
• What Peter Knew and What He Did! -Nov 01, 1992