When we try to serve the Lord in our own strength and wisdom, we will eventually fall short. No matter how much knowledge or experience we believe we have, the Lord is the best guide we can ever have. Through Peter’s calling to serve and minister with Jesus, we learn valuable lessons that are applicable to us as well.
Peter, being an experienced fisherman, would have had extensive knowledge of the best fishing locations and times. The Sea of Galilee, also known as the Lake of Gennesaret or the Sea of Tiberias, would have been very familiar to Peter. Peter, being an experienced fisherman, would have had extensive knowledge of the best fishing locations and times. The natural response would be to simply give up and go home.
In Luke 5:4, Jesus asks Peter to do something that is not only unexpected but requires faith. He tells Him to go back out and fish again. There are several reasons why this would not have made sense to Peter:
Peter was a seasoned fisherman, and Jesus was a carpenter (Mark 6:3).
Peter knew that fishing was more successful at night.
Peter knew the best fishing spots.
In time, Peter would come to realize that the Lord's ways are always the best, even when they don't seem to make sense. Peter would encounter many difficulties while serving the Lord, but needed to learn to trust and rely on the Lord’s wisdom. Jesus, the Lord over His creation, knew how best to deal with the issue that the experienced fisherman did not.
“Service carried on by our own wisdom and strength is futile. The secret of success in Christian work is to be guided by Him (the Lord).”[1]
One lesson that we learn from Peter’s calling is the need to yield to the Lord’s guidance rather than relying solely on our own. No matter how much knowledge or experience we possess, the Lord is the best guide we can ever have. When we are guided by the Lord, He will empower us to accomplish what would be impossible on our own.
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” Psalm 32:8 (NKJV)
Blessings,
Pastor Steven
[1] The Believer’s Bible Commentary, pg. 1323.