On Rounds with Jesus

Tag: Jesus and Peter

  • The catch

    The catch

    Scripture reading: Luke 5:1-11, NKJV

    “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing…” — Luke 5:5

    I often encounter clients who come to the clinic after exhausting every possible remedy. Like the fishermen in today’s passage, they’ve toiled long and hard yet caught nothing. The lesson here is profound: it’s not just the effort or persistence that brings results, but seeking help from the right source, and toiling under the right direction.

    Consider what happened with Peter: First, he offered his boat to Jesus (Luke 5:1–3). Next, he obeyed Jesus’ instruction to launch into the deep (Luke 5:4). Despite his expertise as a fisherman, he recognised that Jesus’ word held more authority than experience. And what followed? A net-breaking, astonishing catch.

    Here’s the real catch: You need Jesus to attain that breakthrough you’ve been yearning for.

    •  Yield your vessel — your skills, your time, your life — for the Master’s use. That vessel is the platform for your productivity.
    • Hand Him the reins. Let Him take control.
    • Obey His instruction. That comes from listening — through His Word, through prayer, and through prompt obedience to His Spirit’s leading.

    Peter started with nothing. But after one encounter with Jesus, he stepped into a calling that would change history. In your own season of frustration or fruitless labour, remember this: God has a plan for you — a destiny-defining purpose for your life. And it all begins when you surrender your boat to Him.

    Let Us Pray

    Lord Jesus,
    Like Peter, I have toiled and laboured with little to show for it. I’ve tried in my own strength, followed my own wisdom, and ended up empty. Today, I surrender it all to you.

    Help me to listen. Guide me, and give me the grace to obey, even when Your instructions challenge my logic. Teach me to trust Your word more than my experience, and to follow You into the deep, where the real catch awaits.

    I know that with You, every frustration can become fruitfulness, and every emptiness can be filled. Use my life for Your glory and lead me into the purpose You have prepared for me.

    In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

    Reflection

    1. What area of your life feels like a night of fruitless toil right now? Have you invited Jesus into that situation?
    2. What does your “boat” represent — your skills, career, time, or resources? Are you truly yielding it for the Master’s use?
    3. How do you typically respond when God’s instructions challenge your experience or logic?
    4. Are you making space to listen to God — through prayer, Scripture, and quiet obedience?
    5. What might change in your life if you gave Jesus full control, trusted His direction, and launched out at His word?