Don't Be Afraid of the Deep Water

In Luke 5:4-7, we read a powerful account of Jesus calling His first disciples to step out in faith. After teaching a crowd from Simon Peter’s boat, Jesus turned to Peter and gave him a surprising command: “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Peter, tired and doubtful after a long, fruitless night of fishing, responded, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.” When they followed His instructions, something miraculous happened: “They enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to break; so they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink.”

Jesus’ invitation to cast into the deep is a powerful metaphor for our walk with Him. Often, we’re tempted to stay in the shallow waters of our faith, where we feel safe and in control. In shallow water, we don’t risk as much, and things seem manageable. But in shallow waters, we’re also limiting the fullness of God’s blessings and the depth of our relationship with Him. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Trusting the Lord often means stepping beyond our own understanding, just as Peter did when he obeyed Jesus and cast his net despite his doubts.

The deep waters represent a place of surrender and dependence on God. When we follow His call into the deep, we let go of our comfort zones and allow Him to lead us to new places. Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us of God’s wisdom over ours, saying, “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.’” In the deep waters, we acknowledge that God’s ways and plans are far beyond our own, and in doing so, we experience His power in ways we wouldn’t otherwise.

When Peter obeyed Jesus, even after a long night of catching nothing, he found an abundance beyond what he could contain. This moment illustrates that true abundance—spiritual and otherwise—comes from obedience to Christ. Sometimes, God calls us to cast our nets even when it doesn’t make sense, when our efforts have yielded little, or when we feel weary. Yet His call remains: to trust and obey. Psalm 42:7 beautifully captures the longing and trust needed to go deeper with God, saying, “Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls; all Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me.” This imagery of depth speaks to a closeness with God that comes from stepping beyond the familiar into a relationship that is unshaken by circumstances.

This is the heart of a deep relationship with Christ. Obeying Him, even in uncertainty, draws us closer to Him and opens us up to His provision and guidance. In the deep, we find His presence and His power in ways we never could in the shallow. Stepping into the deep waters may require letting go of control, releasing our plans, and embracing a trust that God will sustain us no matter how challenging the journey. Jesus is with us in these deep waters, calling us to draw nearer and trust that He will fill our nets in His time and His way.

So, let us be willing to cast our nets into the deep, leaving behind the comfort and security of shallow faith. In those depths, we will find not only God’s abundant blessings but His heart as well. We are not alone; Jesus is there in the boat with us, guiding, providing, and inviting us into a life of deeper faith and obedience.

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“What I write is not for everyone, but what I write is meant for someone.”

Questions or comments? Please contact me: hopeinchrist2024@yahoo.com

I am the author of two books: Embracing God's Wisdom: A Journey of Faith and Reflection and Embracing God’s Wisdom: Paul’s Commands for Victorious Living. Both are available on Amazon.