ESOCS Devotional 3 January 2023
TEXT: LUKE 5:1-11
MEMORY VERSE: “And Simon answered and said to Him, ‘Master we have worked all night and have taken nothing.’ Nevertheless, at your word, I will let down the net:” Luke 5:5 KJV
Simon Peter, James and his brother John, were partners in the fishing business. Like every other business venture, it’s never really easy to achieve success. In this particular case, it was indeed extra tough. However, their encounter with Jesus marked the beginning of an entirely new dimension in their career. According to Peter, they had toiled all night, but could not make any catch. Could this be a pointer to what we experience in our journey through life, when we try to go it all alone – without involving God?
The Master on His part was about His Father’s business of fishing for men. On seeing an empty boat, He requested Peter to grant Him permission to make use of it for evangelical work (verse 3). As He finished ministering to the mammoth crowd, He commanded them to now launch out into the deeper part of the sea. This time, the catch was so much that their net began to tear. They even had to cry out for help to be able to drag out the net.
In Matthew 6:33, the Master teaches that we should seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness. Following this, all other blessings would follow naturally. In Mark 16:17, the Bible also teaches that blessings, signs and wonders shall follow those who believe (in the gospel and authority of Jesus Christ).
Abraham remains the most blessed of all who served God in ancient times. However, these blessings followed his total obedience to the command of the Lord (Genesis 12:1-4). In our text here, the miracle of the extraordinary catch was so evident that it had so much impact on the minds of those who witnessed it.
Child of God, have you struggled all alone without success? It’s time to invest in the Lord’s business, so the long-expected breakthrough will naturally come your way. Don’t forget, Peter and his colleagues did not only end with catching fish, they extended to catching men for the Kingdom. May that become your testimony, as you resolve to engage in the Lord’s business before your own.
- A popular song says, “I will do your work before my own.” Would you like to adopt this slogan?
- Lord Jesus, grant me the enabling grace to invest in the Kingdom business first.
FURTHER READING: Isaiah 62:6-15; 44:1-5; 1 Corinthians 3:10-23.
Read Yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
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ESOCS Devotional 3 January 2023
