So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” (Luke 5:1-4, NKJV)
Seek God’s direction and purpose for your life. In Luke 5, some of Jesus’ disciples had spent the night fishing on the Lake of Gennesaret but caught nothing. Jesus saw them from the shore and called out to them, ‘Let down your nets on the other side’. They did, and the nets broke! You need to remember that these men were professional fishermen and Jesus was a carpenter, yet they obeyed His instruction! Jesus later commissioned them as fishers of men; we who are also commissioned as fishers of men, must listen to the instruction of Jesus and follow His direction.
I spend a lot of time seeking to understand how the Lord worked, how He spoke, what His message was. I remember one time when I was on my prayer walk in Austria, I had come down from the mountain and was really seeking the Lord, because I was wanting to be more productive in my ministry. I was saying, “Holy Spirit, You know more about Jesus than anybody” – after all, Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit; and the Spirit indwelled Him – I was saying, “Holy Spirit, reveal the true Jesus to me, and show me how He fulfilled His ministry.” As ministers, we need to seek the Holy Spirit to reveal the heart and message of the Gospel: the Apostle Paul wrote, ‘I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some… For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.’ (1 Corinthians 9:22; 2 Corinthians 2:15.)
Take no heed what you should say
The Scripture actually teaches that when they bring you before magistrates and powers, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say. (Luke 12:11-12.) I found that to be very true when I was in a court room on trial for Bible smuggling in 1972.
The Scripture continues with the thought of take not heed of what to say, for in Matthew 6 Jesus taught, do not worry about tomorrow, for your Father will take care of you.
Our relationship with God
From the commissioning of the disciples as fishers of men, to us today, the key to our effectiveness in ministry is in our relationship with God as our Father. Whether we are just ‘ordinary’ Christians going about our ordinary lives, or those called into full-time service, we should commit everything we do into the Lord’s Hands. From a teenager I have prayed over everything I’ve done; I sought His direction, guidance and counsel. I’ve wanted to hear that voice behind me saying, “Do this, go there.” (Isaiah 30:21.)
I come back to that story of the disciples in the fishing boat; they had done everything they had always done – they had fished all night yet caught nothing. But the moment they responded to the instruction of Jesus, they pulled in a tremendous harvest.
Use this time of lockdown to seek God’s purpose for your life. Whatever your job may be – not everybody can be a preacher; I couldn’t do what I do without the wide variety skills and talents of the staff in my ministry – work as until the Lord; following His instruction and guidance, then whatever you set your hand to, will prosper and succeed. Maybe today the Lord is telling you to throw down your net, but this time on the other side of the boat.
For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. (Romans 8:4-8, NKJV)
‘Holy Spirit move me now’ used by kind permission www.vinesong.com