Simon Peter and his friends were tired. They had spent the entire night fishing and had nothing to show for their efforts. It was probably not the first time. They were seasoned fishermen and a night like that was par for the course. Having secured their boats they were now washing their nets, no doubt getting ready for their next trip out whenever that would be.
It was against this backdrop that Jesus, in a bid to teach the people pressing "upon him to hear the word of God", found it necessary to use one of the boats from which he would teach. After teaching, he spoke words to Peter that right after a night of fishing without a catch, would test the resolve of most men: "Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught" (Luke 5:4, KJV), to which Peter replied, "Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net" (v.5). The result was immediate. "And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon" (vv. 6-10a).
There are a number of important lessons for the believer in this narrative, among them are 1) In our own efforts we won't accomplish much, 2) Success is wrapped up in obeying the Word of God, and 3) Our success is limited to the degree to which we follow God's instructions.
As we go about our day to day living, these are very important lessons to keep in the front of our minds. Making the decision to follow Christ does not automatically translate into surrendering our lives to His Lordship, and so out of habit and comfortability we manage our own life and affairs without His direction. However, like the experience of the fishermen that night, that could be an unproductive way of doing things. Unless we include Him and His way of doing things, everything we do is in vain (Psalm 127:1). It is important to note that though the fishermen experienced success, it was limited because they did not follow Jesus' instructions fully, maybe because of tiredness or immature faith. Jesus told Peter to "let down your nets", to which he replied "I will let down the net". There is a huge difference between "nets" and "net", and so the net they used broke because it was not big enough for the catch.
The majority of us are no different than those men. God is able to do for us far more than we can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20), but we need to learn to do as He says, and more importantly, to let go and let Him. It can be frightening, but "nevertheless at thy word". Isn't today a good time to start putting that into practice?
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Guided Steps
On a recent early morning drive in to Michigan, I had the very challenging task of driving in heavy, misty fog and rain. Visibility was poor and it was almost impossible to read road signs ten meters away, and even worse, to see other vehicles on the road even with their four-way flashers on. My in car navigational system was working beautifully, and with turn-by-turn instructions it would take me exactly where I wanted to go. But of what use was it if I couldn't even see the road and my exits? How could I even be sure I was staying in the right driving lane? In situations like these I take advantage of what my eyes could see, the white lines on my left. As long as I stayed close to those lines, I wouldn't have to worry about drifting across other lanes. They were my guide to let me know I was in the correct driving lane.
The spiritual truth in the experience was not lost on me. As I drove confidently on, the words of the Psalmist came alive in my being, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path" (119:105, KJV). In the quietness of my thoughts pondering the magnitude of the verse, the Holy Spirit reminded me that He was like my navigational system, always pointing the way to where I needed to go, but in the darkness of the world that is ours, and in the course of day to day living, the word of God were my white lines. As long as I stayed within the boundaries, I would be fine.
It is interesting that in Psalm 119 there are thirty-eight references to "thy word", and the first time David used it, he wrote, "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word" (v.9). It is no wonder then that two verses later he continued, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." Or as The Message translation paraphrases it, "I've banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won't sin myself bankrupt." Like driving in heavy, misty fog and rain, staying within the boundaries of the Word can be extremely challenging but they are our white lines. "By your words I can see where I'm going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path" is how The Message puts verse 105, an acknowledgment of the fact that if our every step are not guided by the Word, we cannot be assured that we are in the right lane.
On the nature of the word of God and the use we should make of it, Bible Scholar Matthew Henry wrote, "1. It discovers to us, concerning God and ourselves, that which otherwise we could not have known; it shows us what is amiss, and will be dangerous; it directs us in our work and way, and a dark place indeed the world would be without it. It is a lamp which we may set up by us, and take into our hands for our own particular use (Pro. 6:23). The commandment is a lamp kept burning with the oil of the Spirit; it is like the lamps in the sanctuary, and the pillar of fire to Israel. 2. The use we should make of it. It must be not only a light to out eyes, to gratify them, and fill our heads with speculations, but a light to our feet and to our path, to direct us in the right ordering of our conversation, both in the choice of our way in general and in the particular steps we take in that way, that we may not take a false way nor a false step in the right way. We are then truly sensible of God's goodness to us in giving us such a lamp and light when we make it a guide to our feet, our path."
Have you checked your steps lately? Who, or what, has been guiding them?
The spiritual truth in the experience was not lost on me. As I drove confidently on, the words of the Psalmist came alive in my being, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path" (119:105, KJV). In the quietness of my thoughts pondering the magnitude of the verse, the Holy Spirit reminded me that He was like my navigational system, always pointing the way to where I needed to go, but in the darkness of the world that is ours, and in the course of day to day living, the word of God were my white lines. As long as I stayed within the boundaries, I would be fine.
It is interesting that in Psalm 119 there are thirty-eight references to "thy word", and the first time David used it, he wrote, "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word" (v.9). It is no wonder then that two verses later he continued, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." Or as The Message translation paraphrases it, "I've banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won't sin myself bankrupt." Like driving in heavy, misty fog and rain, staying within the boundaries of the Word can be extremely challenging but they are our white lines. "By your words I can see where I'm going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path" is how The Message puts verse 105, an acknowledgment of the fact that if our every step are not guided by the Word, we cannot be assured that we are in the right lane.
On the nature of the word of God and the use we should make of it, Bible Scholar Matthew Henry wrote, "1. It discovers to us, concerning God and ourselves, that which otherwise we could not have known; it shows us what is amiss, and will be dangerous; it directs us in our work and way, and a dark place indeed the world would be without it. It is a lamp which we may set up by us, and take into our hands for our own particular use (Pro. 6:23). The commandment is a lamp kept burning with the oil of the Spirit; it is like the lamps in the sanctuary, and the pillar of fire to Israel. 2. The use we should make of it. It must be not only a light to out eyes, to gratify them, and fill our heads with speculations, but a light to our feet and to our path, to direct us in the right ordering of our conversation, both in the choice of our way in general and in the particular steps we take in that way, that we may not take a false way nor a false step in the right way. We are then truly sensible of God's goodness to us in giving us such a lamp and light when we make it a guide to our feet, our path."
Have you checked your steps lately? Who, or what, has been guiding them?
Monday, January 05, 2009
Get Him Involved
Moses was in a bit of a quandary. The LORD had given him a new mission but had not provided much details. They were now together in the tabernacle, with the LORD speaking "unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend" (Exodus 33:11, KJV). The narrative provides an insight into the dialogue, "And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? " (vv.12-16a).
While a proper exegesis of this portion of text is outside of our scope, it is important to note that Moses had his priorities right. He fully recognized that going anywhere without the presence of God among them was not worth doing, and he even had the tenacity to tell the LORD that if His presence was not going to be with them, He shouldn't bother carrying them. Centuries later, Solomon, the wisest of men, would reaffirm the importance of God being in the midst when he wrote, "Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain" (Psalm 127:1). Nothing that is worth accomplishing can be accomplished effectively without the LORD being a part of it.
As we stand at the beginning of a new year, what better thought to take with us as our guide for the rest of the year? Except the LORD build our lives, our relationships, our families, our businesses, our homes, our careers, we who strive to build them ourselves, do so in vain. Dare we say like Moses, if your presence is not going to be a part of what we're doing, we're not going to do it! This is not a bout of arrogance, but one of realizing our utmost dependency on God to guide our steps.
As we look back on the global economic crisis and other turmoils of 2008, how could we go into 2009 without the LORD on our side? As we face an uncertain future, it is a tremendous reassurance to know that we can talk with the one who knows the future and all that it holds, and even more importantly, He invites us to trust Him to lead the way. "Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it." Don't make the mistake of doing anything without Him being a part of it; make sure He's involved, and wait until you're sure that He is. That requires a relationship, one of transparency between you and the LORD. Have you checked on the status of that lately?
To you and yours, God's very best for 2009.
While a proper exegesis of this portion of text is outside of our scope, it is important to note that Moses had his priorities right. He fully recognized that going anywhere without the presence of God among them was not worth doing, and he even had the tenacity to tell the LORD that if His presence was not going to be with them, He shouldn't bother carrying them. Centuries later, Solomon, the wisest of men, would reaffirm the importance of God being in the midst when he wrote, "Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain" (Psalm 127:1). Nothing that is worth accomplishing can be accomplished effectively without the LORD being a part of it.
As we stand at the beginning of a new year, what better thought to take with us as our guide for the rest of the year? Except the LORD build our lives, our relationships, our families, our businesses, our homes, our careers, we who strive to build them ourselves, do so in vain. Dare we say like Moses, if your presence is not going to be a part of what we're doing, we're not going to do it! This is not a bout of arrogance, but one of realizing our utmost dependency on God to guide our steps.
As we look back on the global economic crisis and other turmoils of 2008, how could we go into 2009 without the LORD on our side? As we face an uncertain future, it is a tremendous reassurance to know that we can talk with the one who knows the future and all that it holds, and even more importantly, He invites us to trust Him to lead the way. "Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it." Don't make the mistake of doing anything without Him being a part of it; make sure He's involved, and wait until you're sure that He is. That requires a relationship, one of transparency between you and the LORD. Have you checked on the status of that lately?
To you and yours, God's very best for 2009.
Reaching For The Goal
A couple days ago I shared with a friend that my heart's desire was to be in the nucleus, the core, of God's will for my life. As a matter of fact, I have harbored that desire for quite some time now because of my conviction that of all the places to be in life, there is no safer place to be. However, I continue to learn that having the desire and actually being there are often times as far apart as the East is from the West. Or so it seems. I often have to remind myself that God's grace is what bridges the gap between where I am and where I need to be, and despite the challenges and the number of times I have stumbled, my responsibility is to keep pressing toward the goal.
I reflected on this as I read Paul's letter to the Christians in Phillipi, and the passion with which he articulated his thoughts on his goal. According to The Message's paraphrase, Paul wrote, "Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant--dog dung. I've dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn't want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ--God's righteousness. I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it. I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward--to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back. So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision--you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it" (3:8b-16).
As we stand on the threshold of another year, a time for personal resolutions for many, I am hard pressed to think of a better goal to take into 2009. To know him as Paul desired demands a level of commitment that sees us surrendering ourselves, and all that pertains to us, to the Lordship of Christ. As we allow him to take over lives, God begins to shape us to conform to the image of his Son Jesus, and we know that his desire was to always do the will of the Father (John 5:30).
What is your main desire? Is there room in it to diligently pursue after and do whatever it takes to know Christ more personally?
I reflected on this as I read Paul's letter to the Christians in Phillipi, and the passion with which he articulated his thoughts on his goal. According to The Message's paraphrase, Paul wrote, "Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant--dog dung. I've dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn't want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ--God's righteousness. I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it. I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward--to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back. So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision--you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it" (3:8b-16).
As we stand on the threshold of another year, a time for personal resolutions for many, I am hard pressed to think of a better goal to take into 2009. To know him as Paul desired demands a level of commitment that sees us surrendering ourselves, and all that pertains to us, to the Lordship of Christ. As we allow him to take over lives, God begins to shape us to conform to the image of his Son Jesus, and we know that his desire was to always do the will of the Father (John 5:30).
What is your main desire? Is there room in it to diligently pursue after and do whatever it takes to know Christ more personally?
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