DEEP WATER

Hello boys and girls...Let's all sing along...M. I. C. (see ya real soon)...K. E. Y. (why...because we like you).

If you were a child in the 50's between 1955 to 1959...most likely you watched the Micky Mouse Club. When Jimmy gave the Mousekateer Roll Call...he would call out the various names of the kids...and one of them was Annette. She was every young boys first crush. She went on to star in movies like The Shaggy dog, Babes In Toyland, and various Beach Movies. She also had a few hit recordings in the Top 10 like Tall Paul, Pineapple Princess, O Dio Mio etc. She is also mention in the Bible when she got all wet. "Again the kingdom of heaven is like unto A NET (Annette) that was cast into the sea..." (Matthew 13:47) Poor Annette...or if you endured that joke...Poor you.
While we are in the Unpuny stage... I threw in these lovely CAST A NETS into the mix.

What do these puns have to do with DEEP WATER...and why is this idea of NETS important for us the believer? What possible benefit could an act of casting a net into the sea...be for us?

ANSWER: Everything.



This morning...I was reading in the book of Luke and I came across an interesting passage that caught my eye. Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret with the people crowding around him. They were listening to the Word of God. Jesus saw at the water's edge two boats that were left there by the FISHERMEN...who were washing their nets.

NOTE: The nets were already wet...why did they need washing? It means they were cleaning out the debris and mending the tears, etc.

Jesu hopped into one of the boats that belonged to a fisherman named Simon (Peter). Jesus asked him to put out a little from the shore...and taught the people from the boat. This presented a better stage presentation for Jesus to impart his message for maximum hearing versus just the few who were crowding around him.

When he finished speaking...he spoke again to Simon...and said, "PUT OUT INTO DEEP WATER, AND LET DOWN (CAST) THE NETS FOR A CATCH." (Luke 5:4)

NET: sag-a-nay= to equip, meaning furniture, especially a pack saddle which was a bag of netted rope...a seine for fishing...a net. If you fall out of your boat while you are casting your net...will you go IN-SEINE? Sorry.

CAST: bal-lo= to throw violently or with intensity, thrust.

NOTE: A teacher of the Word of God...a carpenter at that...telling a fisherman how to fish. That would be like me telling an electrician how to wire a house. It just does not make COMMON SENSE.

Peter response..."Master...we've worked hard all night (night fishing)... and have not caught anything." (Luke 5:6)

NOTE: These were the facts. Empty nets. This is what was SEEN. Now Jesus is asking Simon...to go against what his mind tells him is wasted effort.

Simon continues on with the BUT FACTOR..."BUT...because YOU SAY SO...I WILL (Simon's free will choice)...let down the nets." (Luke 5:5)

When they had done so...they CAUGHT such a large number of fish that their NETS began to break...so they signaled their partners in the other boats to come and help them and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. (Luke 5:6-7) Good Fishing Carpenter Style.

When Simon Peter SAW this...he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "God away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man! For he and all his companions were astonished at the CATCH OF FISH they had taken...and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners. (Luke 5:8-10)

NOTE: Simon had a nice little fishing business..enough to have partners.

Then Jeus said to Simon...Don't be AFRAID...from now on...you will catch men (be fishers of men)...So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed Him. (Luke 5:10-11)

This passage has many messages on many levels. The one that jumped out at me today...is the power of obedience. The power of doing what seems to go against the grain of reason, tradition, sight...and step out in faith in obedience to Jesus...the Living Word.


As you walk out your faith in the Risen Saviour...D.B.R...nothing more, nothing less...many times you will come across things in your life that may look contrary to reason. Your intellect will kick in and you will not step out...and obey the Living Word. There may be DEEP WATERS...where you have fished before...and you know that you will be wasting your time to cast the nets again. After all you have been out all night...and it is time to hangup the nets. Sometimes our hanging up of our nets are really just GIVING UP...because of discouragement.

But then...a carpenter...a teacher...speaks not just to the crowds on the shore....but speaks to YOU...specifically. Here are the orders:

1. Put out into the deep water
2. Let down (cast) the nets

WHY? For a catch.

You may reason with the Lord...He can handle your initial doubts. You can let Him know that yo have worked hard all night and have not caught anything. But after you state the OBVIOUS...enter in to the BUT MODE. This is where you put your emotions and intellect on hold...and step out into the substance of things confidently expected...the evidence of things NOT SEEN...and say, "But BECAUSE YOU SAY SO...I WILL LET DOWN (cast) the nets.

The cause and effect...is whatever the LIVING WORD says will happen.

Immediate cause and effect of seeing God move...was for Peter and the boys was:

1. Knowing they were sinners...and the need to have the Lord get out
of their presence. (I know that one for sure)

2. Astonishement at what took place. (It's like believing for a miracle...
and then when it happens...you say in astonishement...I can't
BELIEVE that happened)

3. Fear. Jesus is the FEAR BUSTER.

4. A New Calling. Jesus took the thing that they did for a living...and
enhanced that with being fisehers of men.

5. They then: (a) Pulled up their boats on shore (b) left everything
(c) followed Him

The first step of obedience is to PUT OUT INTO DEEP WATERS.

Happy Fishing

Love and Tangled Net Kisses
Rodney "Captain D's" Boyd