When He had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch". Simon answered, Master, we have worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets".

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. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said "Go 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. Luke: 5:1-9 NIV

In deed it is neither by power nor by might but by my spirit said the Lord. The fact remains that there is a tiny limit to which man can control his situations and circumstances without the help of God his maker. Jesus said without me you can do nothing.

In other words the bible is saying in all your ways, accept or admit the fact that He is the only one who can lead you aright. Recognize the fact that He knows the way through your wilderness and the path to your destiny, Recognize that He exists and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

In our main Bible text LK 5:1-9, Jesus understood Peter's efforts, hard work, and professional inclinations. So He wanted to teach Peter the following lessons:

• 1. That he couldn't make it by power nor by might but by walking according to the leading of His spirit.
• . He wanted to let Simon know that it¡¯s not by doing his own will nor by listening to the voice of man but by listening the voice of the commander in-chief and following His instructions.
• . The Lord wanted to teach Simon that professionalism without spirituality culminates in frustration and failure.
• The Lord wanted to teach Simon that being meticulous and astute at the expense of spiritual guidance and direction results in confusion and illusion What He taught Simon is what He is teaching you and me today.
• .Jesus wanted to teach Simon that God was right in Isa 48:17 where He said "I am the Lord who teaches you to profit." And in Deut 8:18 where He said "thou shall remember the Lord thy God for it is He that giveth thee the power to get wealth.
• Jesus is teaching us as He taught Simon that failure can be turned into success by a change of method. Peter¡¯s methods failed but Jesus' method succeeded.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Lord is saying to somebody right now "change to your method, try my own method" There are lots of folks who should have been making a big catch right at the center of their deep waters but now relegated to the bank washing their nets in frustration, dejection and despondency.

If you belong to this category, listen and listen good, He says it once again, try my own method
The first thing you have to do is to:

• Relocate. You can¡¯t be at the bank and at the center of the deep waters at the same time.
• You cannot be at the bank of the water throwing a-pity party, soliloquizing and worshipping your failures and at the same time harvesting at your deep waters.
• Simon Peter headed straight to his boat and re-entered it. Those of you whom the devil had chased out your boats even in the midst of abundance will re-enter them today in Jesus name!
• Accommodate Jesus: Let Jesus in to the boat of your heart, business, carrier, family etc.
• Thrust out a little from the shore: having allowed Jesus in this time, take a bold step as you make your come back in full assurance of faith and conquer the fear of failing for the second time.
• Allocate the first hours of your come back to Him. Simon gave Jesus priority and sought first the kingdom of God and its righteousness by giving Jesus a share of his business hour to use his boat to spread the gospel of the kingdom and no wonder every other thing followed afterwards.
• Launch into the deep. The bible says that when Jesus finished speaking to the crowd, He said to Simon, "Launch into the deep and let down your net for a catch.
• The phrase "for a catch" makes us understand that Jesus was not trying to guess. It was a confirmation of the miracle that was about to take place!

Simon said, "Master we have been toiling all night and have taken nothing. I could hear Jesus saying to Simon, "when you launch out without me, you toil but when you launch out with me, you harvest. I could hear Jesus saying to Simon ¡°without me deep waters become shallow but with me even shallow waters become deep.

Peter said "nevertheless at thy word, I will let down the net; and when he did, He who knows the names of the fishes of the sea spoke to the fishes. He who created different kinds of species of fishes spoke to the fishes; He who knows the way of fishes in the sea spoke to the fishes, He who commanded and it came to pass spoke the fishes, He who remains the commander in chief spoke to the fish that swallowed Jonah and it vomited him.

He who is the commander in chief of the fishes of the seas spoke to the fishes and fishes heard His voice. He whose voice the fishes cannot resist spoke to the fishes and they answered Him. As He commanded them to enter the net of Simon, so He has commanded them to enter your own.

Shout Halleluiah!
Rev. Basil C. Ukaere
Senior Pastor

Pastor Basil Ukaere


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