Seeking Jesus from the Edges – Wading in the Shallows

Seeking Jesus From the Edges –
Morning Devotions – April 23, 2024
Pastor Calvin Cook
Wading in the Shallows
Scripture focus Luke 5:4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

Where I grew up in the countryside outside Dawson PA time and pace of life was much different. Where we lived below our house there was a creek that ran through our property. It wasn’t much of a creek, maybe only 3 feet wide in some places. However, to us kids it seemed like it was the great Mississippi. We would spend hours walking the creek, turning over rocks, looking for crabs, playing imagine this games, catching crawfish and salamanders and everything that goes along with creek play.

When our friends would come, instead of retreating to a room with video games we went outside, took walks, played in the creek, it really built character and relationship. In the tenseness of the world this was a place of calm that centered my life. The older I get; I realize how much I miss those days.

One day a friend came over and became very bored with wading in the creek and said you should come fishing with me at the river. We all knew the river, the Youghiogheny River flowed just a few miles from our house. This river is world famous, in some places it is raging rapids and others it is almost still waters. It was the largest body of water I had ever been associated with up until these young years of my life.

On my first fishing time there, I realized I didn’t have the right fishing equipment. My fishing pole, tackle and bait were very unusable in this body of water, the bait I had was not even attractive to what we were fishing for. What suited me in my little creek I had become used to was going to catch fish but only what I had become accustomed to catching.

A man who lived by the river, took concern with me. Made sure I had the right equipment and guided me as I learned to fish in the big deep water of the Yough. The catch was nothing like I had ever experienced before. Large fish were being caught of all kinds. Because of a few conditions I experienced a transformed fishing experience. I left the shallows of creek not because it was bad, it was a great learning place, but I pushed into the deep. I was invited, my friend who invited me who had already experienced the deep waters of the Yough abounding with every species of fish to catch, shared and invited me. I had a mentor who guided me, who offered care, with the right equipment, careful instruction, but more importantly he offered his time, he discipled me in fishing.

I remember well coming home one night with a very large channel Catfish about 30 inches long and showing my Dad, who was also a very dedicated creek fisherman. The next day my Dad joined me at the river and we began to fish together and experience what pushing out into the deep was all about.

I have never realized the importance of this scripture Luke 5:4 and the model that is there for living a life within the teachings and guidance of Jesus, until the last few days. It tells us that most of the time we must quit wading around in the shallows of our life and go deeper in our faith. We have to be willing to invite others on that journey with us. I was searching for something more and didn’t realize it. We must be willing to change the way we do things. I was still fishing but fishing in a different way for different fish. We need to accept mentorship and be guiding mentors to others. We will do this by the way we live a life of discipleship to Jesus.

This morning, I am praying you hear the words of Luke 5:4 as Jesus spoke the words to Simon Peter, “Put out into the deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” May it change your life !