Here is the revelation that is shaping my life today – God holds nothing back from me, and I create the reasons for rejection.
Luke 5:4-6,8,10 NIV
[4] When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” [5] Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” [6] When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. [8] When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” [10] 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.”
Observation
How often do I find legitimate, intellectual objections to the invitations of Jesus? Do my intellect and logic speak louder than his voice, or can I be like Peter and say “But because you say so?” How many catches of life, how much abundance of life, slip through my hands because I object to dropping my nets? I’m sure Jesus has no problem with my objections, the question is whether I follow them, or do I carry them as I follow him.
Following, with my doubts in hand, can lead me into encounters that will change my life forever, “from now on you will…” It is only from my personal encounters with God that my life is transformed. It’s not when I read Peter’s story, it’s when Peter’s story becomes mine does life change. It’s when I encounter my full nets, do I live a life in the natural that is open to the supernatural. And there is no life in God that is not supernatural.
Oh, and then there is my personal self-rejection to overcome, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” Whenever I encounter the beauty of Jesus, the ugliness of me always raises its voice of disqualification. It’s only when I have met personally his mercy, and forgiveness and received his declared righteousness, do I silence disqualification and follow his beauty. God knows everything there is to know about Peter, she does not argue with Peter’s self-assessment, what she says is ‘sinfulness is no disqualification from my love, my presence, from following me.’ How often do we make it a disqualification?
Application
I will not follow the logic and my intellectual assessments as the superior guiding influence of my life. I will carry these into the exciting, beautiful, unpredictable journey of ‘But because you say so.’ And I will never allow my sin, even when it is constant and persistent, to have any form of a voice in my life that keeps me from enjoying the presence of God. I want full nets and new life, I want the abundance that flows through following.
Response
Thank you for the invitation to life beyond logic. I love living in the natural supernaturally. I love that you can fill nets when there is no fish in sight. And thank you for silencing my shame, condemnation and disqualification screamings that make sense to me but are totally defeated by you. Thank you that you always invite, me and always make the way open for me to walk into your invitation. Nothing keeps me from you – other than me. Thank you for this amazing invitation into life.
Meditation
Meditate – But because you say so.
Consider:
Where in your life is logic or disqualification keeping you from seeing abundance and the life this leads to?
What keeps you from shaping your life in – “but because you say so?”
JOURNEY DEEPER
