By Ella Eickstead
Luke 5:9-11
For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
In today’s Bible passage story, Jesus saw a group of fishermen as He walked near the Sea of Galilee. Jesus got into one of their boats and told them to go out into the water. The fishermen doubted Jesus and told Him that they had worked all night and caught nothing. Yet, they listened and cast their nets into the water. The fishermen caught so many fish that their nets began to break and their boats began to sink. Simon Peter fell to his knees in amazement. Jesus responded with the words in today’s Bible passage. The disciples’ response to leave everything and follow Him is also astonishing.
When Peter, James, and John left behind their boats and nets to follow Jesus, they weren’t simply physically changing their location; they were changing their lives.
This one word, “follow”, shows the total life transformation and the importance of Jesus’ call to discipleship. Jesus calls us as ordinary people to drop our nets and follow Him. Although many of us are not fishermen, we all carry a net of our own. Today, our nets often look like busy schedules and jobs, reputations and social media identities, and more. These things have the ability to slowly take our focus off the Lord.
Dropping these “nets” can seem impractical and difficult, but following Jesus doesn’t have to be perfect. Lent can be a reminder for daily surrender. So, this Lenten season I am encouraging
you to discover your net, drop it, and follow the Lord.
Pray with me…
Lord, thank You for this day and for the ability to praise You freely. Your faithfulness is great, and Your love is never-ending. That is why we ask You to help us discover what it is that turns us away from You. Help us regain our focus. Guide us in this process and allow us to remember that You have a plan for our lives. It’s in Your heavenly name that we pray, Amen.