Luke 5: 8-11When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 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.
Not aware of the activity around them, Peter and his
co-workers cast nets through the night, with no results. Not even a minnow. The
next morning, Jesus encouraged them to toss their nets in the water one more
time. I can imagine Peter and his fishing buddies shook their heads, shrugged
their shoulders, then threw the nets overboard with little to no expectation.
When they tugged and pulled the catch back on board and the fish flopped all
over the deck, they must have stood with their mouths open, in awe. When the
amazement calmed, Peter and the other men acknowledged their faith, parked
their boats, and followed Jesus.
In 2014, I chose a specific word to pray about and apply to
my life. When I focused on the word ‘fear,’ I had no idea how it would play
out. I had to push fear aside several times, including a major surgery and an
unexpected move, pretty much at the same time. Because I gave my fear to God,
he eased my anxieties and helped me through. This year, I’ve chosen the word ‘follow.’
This requires me to stop and listen, to hear God’s guidance and requests. I long
for the faith of the disciples as they dropped their plans and obeyed Jesus. I
can’t wait to see where he’ll lead.
What word would you choose for 2015?
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