Moreover At Your Word !

Lk.5:5, “⁵ But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”

Peter loved the Lord. Though we see him jumping into quick actions and decisions without giving a second thought, he had a very strong point in his faith life. He understood the power of His spoken Word. In faith life, its important to be rooted in His Word. Ps.1 speaks about the person who delights in the law of the Lord. He meditates on it day and night and is like a tree planted by the rivers of the water. Such lives bear fruits in all seasons.

Peter was by the lake with an empty net and an empty boat. But Jesus had set His eyes on the emptiness of Peter’s heart and life. Peter was an experienced fisherman. He had spent almost his whole life fishing. He was a hardworking man. But all these was in vain. Yet, when Jesus asked him to launch the net into the deep waters, Peter willingly obeyed. He said, “……..nevertheless at Your Word, I will let down the net.” He considered letting down the net against all past failures, against all the vain knowledge and experience. He considered His Word above all failures and vain experiences. His Word reigns over all empty experiences and failures of our past.

Mt.14:28-29, “And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.’ Jesus asked the disciples to go to the other shore. On the way, in the midst of the sea, they were trapped in waves, unable to move ahead. On the fourth watch, Jesus walked on the water and reached them. The disciples feared. But when Jesus assured them that it was Him, Peter asked Jesus to bid him to come to Him on water. He did not step out into the water till Jesus said, “Come’. But the moment Jesus said ‘Come’, Peter came out of the boat and walked on the water till his eyes got caught on the waves around. But yes, at His Word, he did walk on water, even though it was for little time. No other disciples with him could do this. Peter considered His spoken Word above the boisterous winds. He could step into the most unpredictable situation with great confidence and walked on water as if he walked on dry ground. His Word reigns the most unpredictable and the most hopeless situations of life that lies ahead. Mt.4:18-20, “And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. ¹⁹ Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” ²⁰ They immediately left their nets and followed Him.’ Peter and Andrew left their nets and followed Him immediately. They left their profession, their job, the source of their bread and followed Jesus.  They did not give a thought about their sustenance, about how their families would live etc. They saw the Word of their great call to follow Him above their present sustenance. We don’t read about any of these families starving because of what they did. One’s sustenance is enveloped within one’s response to the calling.

Lk.22:61, “ And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster ^[i]crows, you will deny Me three times.” ⁶² So Peter went out and wept bitterly.’  The Lord had asked Peter to rise up and pray in the garden of Gethsemane. But Peter could not pray as his physical weariness overpowered the willing spirit. Later we see Peter denying Christ thrice before the cock crew just as Jesus had prophesied. Here, Jesus was being taken away for crucifiction. And Peter was following from afar. There was no way Christ could come near Peter and speak to him. And the possibly 4^th denial would have taken Peter to the point of no return. The Lord turned and looked at Peter as soon as the rooster crowed. This turn and look of Christ broke all the barriers between them and reached out to touch the core of Peter’s heart. This silent speech of Christ convicted Peter, who went out and wept bitterly in repentance. Peter who would act immediately at spoken Word of Christ, now acted immediately at the unspoken Word of Christ. Ps.32:8, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;I will guide you with My eye.” His unspoken Word caused repentance and restoration.

In John 21, Jesus, after resurrection, pursued Peter and other disciples who had gone for fishing. He again performed the same miracle which had attracted Peter to Christ first. He fed them.  Jesus then asked Peter three times, ‘Peter, son of Jonas, do you love me?’ Jesus then said to Peter three times, ‘feed my sheep.’ By speaking the same aspect three times, Jesus was confirming His calling upon Peter. The Lord reassured Peter by  His spoken Word.  We later see a Peter who ran the rest of his faith life faithfully. He was full of passion for the Lord. He was rooted in His Word and built the church on His Word.

Its important to consider His Word above everything else. That enables His Word to rule us and our situations. His Word is life and power. His Word is the truth. It’s the spiritual food that keeps our inner person alive and alert.  Joshua 1:8, ‘This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you^[c] shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.’

GOD bless us all.