Today's Gospel

What Is God Calling You To Do?

Welcome back to Radical and Relevant, where we are exploring the genius of Jesus, the genius of the gospels, and looking for a way each day to apply the gospel to our lives. Today's reading is from the beginning of chapter five of Luke's Gospel, Luke 5:1-11. While the people pressed upon him to hear the Word of God, he was standing by the lake of Jenezaret. And he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." Simon answered him, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing. But at your word, I would let down the nets." And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shawl of fish and their nets were at breaking point. And they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, oh Lord." For he was astonished and all that were with him at the catch of the fish which they had taken.

And so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. Henceforth, you will become a fisher of men." And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him. What jumps out at you today? What jumps out at me is this line. Jesus asked Peter, Simon, to put their nets out into the deep. And he says, "Well, we've been fishing all night and we haven't caught anything." But then he says this, "But at your word, I will let down the nets. But at your word, I will let down the nets." And he did. Okay. But Simon still falls at his knees later and says, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, oh Lord." It's interesting. You wonder what matrix or criteria Simon was using to judge himself because he said to Jesus, "At your word, I will let down my nets." And Jesus gave the Word and you let down the nets. Makes me think of a beautiful line in my kid's room, the littlest kids. And it's been there ever since Walter was born, actually. I bought it when I was still single, 20 years before Walter was born. It's this beautiful print of Noah's Ark. And it just has the Scripture below it.

And Noah did all that the Lord God commanded him. That's all. And Noah did all that the Lord God commanded him. And it's a beautiful idea, right? And right here, Simon is, he's reinforcing that. He's saying, that at your Word, I will let down the nets. What is God calling you to today? What is the Lord God commanding you to do today? And will you do it? Have a great day, and remember, do not just be yourself. Be the very best-version-of-yourself, all that God created you to be.