Earlier this week Cheryl and I took our boat out for the first time this year. We had a lovely day on the lake. While the temperatures soared to triple digits here in North Texas, we stayed under the shade of the Bimini top on our pontoon boat and enjoyed the cool breeze blowing across the top of the water. We got in the water for a swim. And we fished. For hours. We came across several schools of small fish, but after several hours of trying, we only caught one fish big enough to keep. It wasn’t that we were not trying. We used several different tactics and lures and techniques, but at the end of the day there was only one sand bass in the live well.

A day like that may seem discouraging, but we were still happy we had the chance to be together and on the water. And we did catch fish, which was what we were trying to do.

At least a third of the disciples of Jesus were fishermen:  Peter, Andrew, James and John. They were not recreational fishermen, but people who did it for a living. And they also knew what it was like to have a “bad day” fishing.

Luke 5:1–11 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, he saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

They fished all night and caught nothing. We fished several hours and caught little. But we kept trying. I wonder if I have been as persistent in being a fisher of men?

Lord, forgive me for the times I have not been faithful to my calling to be a fisher of men. Help me to be as persistent in my efforts to let other people know about what a wonderful God and Savior you are as I am in my efforts to catch fish on when I am on the lake! And thank you for loving me and dying in my place to make the payment for all my sin and shortcomings.