“Put Out Into Deep Water”
Dreams and desires—we all have them. Each one was uniquely imprinted on our hearts by God Himself, so why do we think we can fulfill them without Him? Too often our tendency is to do things on our own, rely on our own strength and make our own plans. I have this tendency often myself, but I’ve come to realize that I can try tirelessly for the rest of my life, but without Jesus, my work and my striving will remain meaningless and fruitless. In the recognition of my finiteness, I am reminded that everything is nothing without Him.
Perhaps you have something you’re passionate about—something you’ve been working towards for a long time. Or maybe you have dreams of fulfilling something, but you struggle with where to start or how to get there. If that’s the case, I’m sure periods of frustration or defeat are familiar to you. The good news is you’re not alone in those feelings. The disciples, too, experienced frustration and God performed a miracle for them. Chapter five of the Gospel of Luke, “The Call of Simon the Fisherman” illustrates the difference our work has when we ask God to guide us. It’s an account that has left a unique impression on my heart—one I believe we can look to for encouragement.
Right at the beginning of the story we are reminded of God’s attentiveness. Luke 5:2 states, “[Jesus] saw two boats there alongside the lake.” This simple line can be so easy to pass by, but, when placed in its context, tells us something profound about the nature of God. Luke tells us that Jesus noticed the fisherman on the lake even “while the crowd was pressing in on [Him]” (Luke 5:1). Imagine yourself in this scene. If you were being bombarded with crowds I doubt your attention would be one of wonder. I know I would probably be too focused on what was happening right in front of me, but not for Jesus. Not only does Jesus take notice, but, as we will see, He is attentive to the needs of these men. He saw that “the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets” (Luke 5:2). How beautiful is God’s awareness! Jesus noticed the frustration and the defeat and did not allow them to remain defeated. Instead, He gets in the boat with the fishermen, reminding us that He does not detract from our frustrations, rather, when we are tired and weak, He comes closer, He draws near and He invades our discouragement.
The story unfolds like so,
[Jesus] said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon said in reply, “Master, we have worked hard all night and caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing…” (Luke 5:4-6).
I love the first part of Simon Peter’s response to Jesus, “Master we have worked hard all night and caught nothing…” This line echoes the common tendency of the human heart. Imagine yourself in Simon Peter’s shoes. You just spent your entire night fishing. You just finished washing all your nets and are ready to go home. You’re tired. Remember, to be a fisherman in the first-century was a physically grueling task. Now, Jesus decides to enter your boat and tell you to unpack everything and try again. Not only try again, but to cast your nets in “deep” water. I can imagine Simon Peter’s frustration. It’s as if Simon Peter says to Jesus, “With all due respect, I know nothing is there.”
As I read Simon Peter’s response, I wondered, how often do we respond this way to Jesus in our own lives? God tells us to do something and we act as if we know better. We look at God tired and frustrated saying, “I already tried that Jesus...I already went there.” How many times do we ask God to come into our situation, but then get frustrated with what He asks of us? How many times do we fail to recognize that Jesus knows everything and everywhere we’ve been and tried—that nothing escapes His notice. As I reflect on these all too often questions in my own life, I hear Jesus patiently respond to my questioning with, “I know, but have you tried with Me?”Perhaps He’s asking you the same question.
What places, what things is Jesus asking you to revisit? What places of your life are you afraid to let Him in? He is the God of redemption. He wants to renew your broken places, but you have to allow Him to enter your boat. Invite Him into your dreams. We were never meant to be without Him, to do anything without Him. Without Jesus, we will end up disembarking, throwing in the towel, exhausted and defeated just like Simon Peter and the fishermen. But, with God, there is abundance and triumph. As Jesus tells the disciples in Matthew 19:26, “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”
What if that one “yes” to God you are withholding is the “yes” that will change the course of your life? What if that one “yes” will lead you to another “yes” which will lead you to your breakthrough, the place you thought was impossible? Every “yes” is a practice of surrender. Every time we respond to God like Simon Peter and say “at your command, I will lower the nets” we are reminding our soul and the enemy know who is Lord over our life.
One of the greatest lies the enemy tries to tell us is that a life lived in surrender, a life attuned to the voice of God, will leave you destitute and lacking. This holds us back from fully trusting and fully giving ourselves to Christ whereas Jesus more than anyone wants us to experience the fullness of life. Expect good things from Him. Remind yourself that the devil wants you to remain stagnant.
In Evangelii Gaudium Pope Francis writes, “people feel an overbearing need to guard their personal freedom, as though the task of evangelization was a dangerous poison rather than a joyful response to God’s love which summons us to mission and makes us fulfilled and productive. Some resist giving themselves over completely to mission and thus end up in a state of paralysis and acedia” (#81). You might ask, “Well, what does my personal obedience to God’s will have to do with evangelization?” To that I say, the example of your life is the biggest evangelization you can perform. Do not allow the devil to stifle your life. Instead, as Saint Paul tells us, give the glory to “Him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20).
Jesus wants good things for You. He wants to perform a miracle in your life. His promises are for you. As I noted earlier, we all have dreams and desires in our heart. But, how can we expect to achieve them if we pursue our dreams excluding the One who placed them there? Invite God into the boat. Invite Him into your tiredness. He knows you better than anyone ever will. You can trust Him. Invite Him and heed to the salient words of the Blessed Mother to “do whatever He tells you” (John 2:5). He may ask you to put out in deep water, but, with Him, it will never be in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”