Luke 5 Devotions by Lindsey Whyde

Luke 5:1-7

On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, ² and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. ³ Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 

 

Simon and his fishing partners are minding their own business. They’ve failed in their fishing trip. Washing their nets meant they caught nothing worth keeping, and they were closing up for the day but preparing for another. Jesus sees that.

 

While He’s on His way to find a way to teach the multitude of people, He sees Simon. Did you notice that Simon was not in his boat anymore? Simon gets out, and Jesus climbs in his boat! Simon fails; Jesus steps in. We know that Jesus is looking for a place to teach, and Simon allows Jesus the opportunity to use his failure for good.

 

Simon steps out of His boat. His bad day, his failure, his lack of resources. He allowed Jesus to step into his bad day, his failure, his lack of resources. How can we let Jesus step into our lives this week?

 

⁴ And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” ⁵ And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” ⁶ And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking.

 

Remember how Simon got out of the boat and Jesus stepped in? Go back up to the top portion and see when Simon steps back in. In Jesus’ timing, He encourages Simon to do what? Try again! Simon was able to overcome his failure, his bad day, his need when he let Jesus into his boat!

 

How many times have you tried to overcome something that keeps failing? Have you let Jesus step in? Have you let Jesus take over your failures? Have you tried again when it feels ridiculous? Simon knew that wasn’t a good place or a good time of day to fish, but he obeyed anyway.

 

⁷ They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.

 

Friends, Simon couldn’t handle Jesus’ blessings on his own! His blessings have to be shared. He needed help! You see, his friends were part of his failure. They knew what Simon was feeling; they were suffering with him! They had front-row seats to watch Jesus step in to Simon’s life and were able to encourage and rejoice in Jesus’ miracle!

 

How about you? How can your friends encourage and support you today? That’s why we’re together – to help each other in bad times and to rejoice and glorify God in good times. We can’t do this life alone.

 

Write out your reflections, a testimony to Jesus stepping into your life or something you feel burdened to try again even though you’ve only experienced failure.