Jesus called Simon Peter out of his commercial fishing business by giving him the most successful day in its history (Lk 5:10). This is an unusual way to get someone to change jobs. Most people leave things when they're falling apart, not when they're going great. However, Jesus does things differently. He will sometimes make your business prosper if He's calling you out of it.
Notice that Jesus did not call Peter to stop fishing for fish after a whole night of catching nothing. First, Jesus filled two boats full of fish (Lk 5:7) and then called Peter into fishing for men and women. Jesus wants us to obey Him and not just be victims of circumstance. Jesus loves to work through circumstances, but prefers to bless us into doing His will rather than force us. He prefers to move us from good to best rather than from bad to best, although most of us seem to respond more to problems than to God's loving call.
How will you let God work with you? Does something bad have to happen to you before you repent? Do you insist on failing and suffering before learning the hard way? Change your job, life, and lifestyle because the Lord says so and not because you have had enough of the wages of sin (Rm 6:23).
| PRAYER: | Father, may I move from grace to grace (see Jn 1:16) and not only from sin to grace. |
| PROMISE: | "I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and in which you stand firm. You are being saved by it at this very moment." –1 Cor 15:1-2 |
| PRAISE: | Praise the risen Jesus, Who has come to give us life in abundance (Jn 10:10). |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College