Luke 5:8-11 Fishers of Men
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: July 7, 2018 Luke 5:8-11
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
(Understanding the Text) I guess this was Peter’s first repentance. Peter acknowledged how far above him Jesus was and that Peter was unworthy. At the cross when Peter denied Jesus, Peter repented in a completely different way. In the first instance, Peter was acknowledging his own sinfulness and unworthiness, but he was not clinging to Jesus. Instead, he told Jesus to depart from him because he was not worthy to be around the Holy One of Israel. In the second repentance, Peter was broken because he had failed the One he loved. He came to the point where he knew in His very depths that his own self could not be trusted. When Jesus rose from the dead, Peter was reborn as a humble man whose only source of strength was his Savior. When we first come to Jesus, we repent because we acknowledge who we are and that we need a Savior. However, we don’t really know Jesus at that point, so we don’t love Him. Later, as we learn to love Jesus, we become less and less dependent on our own selfs and more and more dependent on our Savior. When we reach a point where we know to our very depths that we cannot trust ourselves and can always trust Jesus, we are in the right place.
This was not the first call that Jesus made to Peter, James, Andrew, and John to follow Him. They first followed Him as the Messiah, but continued on with their lives more or less as usual. Then, Jesus called them for special training. Later Jesus called them to be witnesses, then leaders, and then organizers. Finally, Jesus called three of these four to be martyrs for Him. One He called to be ready to be a martyr and later to be an exile, alone, the last one left who had to watch the enemy infiltrating Jesus’ people while outwardly attacking them. Maybe John needed the most hope of all the disciples.
Meyer’s commentary says “Christ will be in no man’s debt. If you lend Him your boat, He will return it filled with silver fish. The boats were filled; the upper room was filled with the Holy Spirit; and all Martha’s hospitality was well repaid when Lazarus was raised.” This is an interesting thought that I had not considered. We may feel that we have given up much for Jesus, but He will supply us with much more than we ever give to Him. Guzik says the same thing this way: “Peter (Simon) was kind enough to allow Jesus to use his boat. Jesus is kind enough to direct Peter’s fishing efforts. We can never give more to Jesus than He will give to us.”
(Revelation of God / Application) Jesus knows each of us and our own unique personalities. He deals with each of us according to who we are and our needs. Jesus provided the four fishing partners with a sign that would carry them through scorn and trials to know that Jesus was truly the Messiah. They first followed Jesus based on the testimony of John the Baptist, but now they committed themselves to totally following Jesus and giving up their secure lives as fishermen based on a miracle that was tailor-made for these four. Jesus will also work with me based on my unique character and needs. I must have faith that Jesus does this for others also.
(Application / Prayer) Jesus called these four men to catch men for the kingdom of God. Meyer’s commentary says “At the day of Pentecost when Peter’s net landed 3,000 souls, was not our Lord’s promise fulfilled? “Thrust out a little” is the beginning of long voyages and fishing expeditions with Christ!” Jesus later gave this commission to all His followers, which means that this is my job also. I pray to do this job of catching men well for you. I know that I cannot do it myself, so I pray for the anointing of Your Spirit in order to accomplish the goals that You have set for me to do. I pray this also for the members of the church.