Let me know how I can help!

Luke 5: 10b

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid, from now on you will catch men.” NIV

This is a wonderful story.  In my NIV Bible, it is titled, “The Calling of the First Disciples.”

Jesus already has begun to teach.  On this day, he finds himself at the water’s edge, with people crowding around him to hear what he has to say.

He sees two boats that have been left there by the fishermen, and he gets into one of them, which, it turns out belongs to Simon.  He asks Simon to put out a little from the shore and then he teaches for a while from the boat.

When he’s done speaking, he asks Simon to take the boat to deeper water and let down the nets.  Simon answers him in verse 9, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything.  But, because you say so, I will let down the nets.” NIV

Because you say so.

And, here’s the miracle.  When they pull up the nets, they are so full of fish that they begin to tear.  Simon has to signal his friends from the second boat to come and help, and, verse 7 says that the catch filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

I have a dear friend who runs a very successful business.  I had the privilege of visiting with her this week.  In the midst of the conversation, she paused and told me a little of her story.

She said that early on, she prayed and prayed, “God, help me be successful, help me build my business.”  While things moved forward, it was not at the rate she would have wanted.  Then, she said, she realized that she was putting herself in the center.  She changed her focus.  Her prayer basically became, “God, use this business to do whatever it is that you need done and let me know how I can help.”  That’s when things really took off.

We all want to be successful.  Simon wanted to be successful.  But, on his own, it wasn’t happening.

But, look what happened when he did as he was instructed.

In the rest of the story, Simon becomes overwhelmed with the holiness of Christ.  James and John, his fishing buddies, also were astonished.

Then Jesus says to him, “don’t be afraid, from now on you will catch men.”

Do as I say … Don’t be afraid … I’ve got plans for you.

Let me know how I can help!

That’s my prayer today.