A RADICAL ENCOUNTER WITH THE HOLINESS OF GOD
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, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will fish for people."
Luke 5:8-10 (NIV)
In this calling of the first disciples, we see Jesus coming to the shore where Simon Peter, James and John were fishing and using one of the boats to teach the people. Jesus tells Simon Peter to let down the nets and fish, which he does, even though he hadn’t caught any fish all the previous night. This was a leap of faith because of the work that the fishermen had done, which hadn’t yielded a catch. You see here the belief that Simon Peter already had in Jesus. Once the catch was in, Simon Peter was so astonished as to feel unworthy of being with Jesus. Jesus still wanted these men to be His disciples and would be fishing for men.
When I was in the Navy, I was not a follower of Christ. I believed in Him, but wasn’t saved. After I left the service, I began going to church with my wife, and that’s where I met Jesus. He started stirring things in me, and then one Sunday it happened. There was an altar call, and I felt a push to go down front and give my life to Jesus. It wasn’t an idea to go forward; I felt like a giant hand pushed me. This encounter brought me to Jesus. He was working on me the entire time, ready for me to take that step to meet Him in that wonderful encounter!
APPLICATION: We’ve all encountered God in some way in our lives. Spend a few minutes bringing a story to mind of that experience, and remember what it felt like. Write this all out in a journal and reflect on it. Ask God what He wants you to know from that moment.
PRAYER: Father, thank You for loving me and showing up in my life. Help me remember the times I met You and how You have been faithful to me. Your grace is truly sufficient. Amen.
"… Our Father in heaven…" Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
• What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
"… may your name be kept holy." Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
• What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
"May your Kingdom come soon." Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
• Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
"Give us today the food we need," Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
• Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I'm around today?
"and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us" Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
• Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
"And don't let us yield to temptation…" Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
• Is there anywhere I'm vulnerable to temptation?