When [Jesus] had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

Devotion based on Luke 5:4,5

Imagine a plumber telling an airline pilot how to do his job. Or a stockbroker giving advice to a road worker. That advice is not likely to be received well. Maybe you’ve experienced something similar when someone completely unqualified tried to tell you how to do your job. “Who are you to tell me what to do?”

Jesus, the carpenter, told Simon Peter, the fisherman, how to do his job. It had been a long and frustrating night for Peter. Every time he cast his net into the water, he had come up empty. He let Jesus use his boat as he cleaned his nets and dreamed of a hot meal and a fresh bed.

But then Jesus told Peter to go back out (after just cleaning his nets) and cast in the deep water. Deep water? During the day? This sounds like the advice of a carpenter and not a fisherman. It must have seemed impractical, maybe even crazy, for Peter to listen to this command from Jesus.

Peter replied, “Because you say so, I will let down the nets.” Even when it didn’t make sense or went against everything he knew, Peter trusted Jesus enough to obey. And the result? A miraculous catch of fish that nearly sank his boat.

This story isn’t just about Peter’s obedience; it’s about Jesus’ authority and power. When Jesus speaks, he knows exactly what he’s doing, even if it seems impractical or impossible to us. His words are not limited by our knowledge, experience, or understanding.

Christians are often called to listen to Jesus in ways that may seem counterintuitive—like forgiving someone who has hurt us deeply, trusting God with an uncertain future, or sharing the gospel when we feel unqualified. These things can feel just as impractical as fishing in deep water during the day. But Jesus doesn’t call us to rely on our own understanding. He calls us to trust him.

Prayer:

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.