With Spring in the air, the fishermen are getting their gear ready for a busy season of fishing. Toledo Bend is one of the hottest fishing spots in the South, and many fishing rodeos will be advertised at various spots along the waterway, as well as area fishing holes. It is interesting that more and more high schools have fishing clubs and colleges offer scholarships ‘to go fishing.’
In Biblical times, fishing was a very popular livelihood. Jesus surrounded himself with fishermen. In fact, He told Simon Peter and Andrew: “Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” (Mark 1: 16-18). At once they left their nets and followed him.
Jesus told Peter to ‘push out into the deep water and cast his nets once more’. Peter replied: “we have been fishing all night long and have not caught any…but as you say – we will do.’ And they caught so many that he called his partners to bring another boat out to help. When they emptied the nets, both boats were filled. (Luke 5: 1-11).
They were amazed at what Jesus had done ‘through their efforts’. But haven’t we all experienced that. We do all we can do. And think it’s hopeless, it can’t be done, there is no use trying any longer, but then Jesus shows up! We exercise our faith, we increase our trust level in Him, we maybe change our tactics, we choose another bait or lure, we try a different method and He works through us for better results.
Often times we feel we are ‘working for’ Jesus; what He really wants is to ‘work with Him.’ He wants us to do what we know to do and leave the results in His hands. The Bible teaches that Jesus is always at work; He bids and invites us to join Him in His work and allow Him to work through us.
We all are summoned to work with him here on earth. Consider these points:
* Jesus knows more about our jobs that we think He does. He told Peter how to fish. Yes, Peter – a professional fisherman, who had been fishing all his life, and now this carpenter is telling him how and where to fish! What does he know about fishing? (We’ll see)!
*Jesus honors our submission to His directives when our only motivation is to be obedient. Sometimes we may say “why, why, why” or “I want to do it this way” or we may push Him to the point where we may sense He Is implying “do it this way because I said so!” And like to our children, that is a satisfying answer.
Peter (under his breathe) may have said “Why, I don’t understand, How does He know what I should do? I am the fisherman; he is the carpenter.”
* We may get the job done, but by working under God’s authority and directions, our work yields entirely different results. The key to Peter’s enormous catch was not the deep water the Lord instructed him to fish in, but that He obeyed and did as the Lord instructed.
At times, we may feel we need a new occupation, to move in a different direction – when what we need is a new fishing partner, not a new occupation. Would not Jesus have made a unique fishing guide?
Paul: Col 3: 23-24: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord you are serving.”
Good News May 14, 2025
Bill Crider Chaplain
Minden Medical Center