Imagine the smell of salt, the dampness of the morning air, and the crushing weight of failure. Peter has been out all night. He is a profes...
Imagine the smell of salt, the dampness of the morning air, and the crushing weight of failure. Peter has been out all night. He is a professional; he knows these waters. And yet, he has caught nothing. He is washing his nets—a sign that the work is over, the failure is accepted, and it’s time to fade into the background.
Then Jesus walks into his disappointment. He doesn't meet Peter at a gala or a temple; He meets him in a stinking, empty boat. This is the nature of the Call. God does not wait for you to be successful to find you. He meets you at the point of your "nothing." Jesus asks Peter to do something illogical: "Put out into deep water." To a fisherman, this is an insult. You don't fish in the deep in the heat of the day. But Peter, exhausted and weary, says the words that change everything: "At your word, I will lower the nets."
The result is an abundance that nearly sinks the boat. But look at Peter's reaction. He doesn't count the money. He doesn't think about the market price of fish. He sees the holiness of the Man in front of him and falls to his knees. This is the Confession we all must make: "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." It is the moment the "mask" falls off. In the presence of pure light, we finally see our own shadows.
But here is the life-changing truth: Jesus doesn't depart. He leans in. He doesn't say "Yes, you are a sinner, goodbye." He says, "Do not be afraid." He takes Peter’s failure and uses it as the foundation for a Commission. "From now on, you will be catching men."
What is your "empty boat" today? Is it a failed relationship? A career that feels like "toiling all night"? A spiritual life that feels dry? Jesus is asking to get into that boat. He wants to take your emptiness and fill it with a catch so large you’ll need help to carry it. But you have to be willing to "put out into the deep"—to trust Him where you cannot see the bottom. Don't be afraid of your sinfulness; it is the very place where His grace wants to work.
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