Scripture to Read: Luke 5:2–3
Jesus was not by the lake of Gennesaret by accident. Jesus knew who God the Father had chosen for Him to call as His first disciples. God had Luke record in Luke 5:2–3, “and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. 3 And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and began teaching the people from the boat.” Jesus chose Simon’s boat because He knew He would invite Simon to follow Him. Simon, at the time, had been listening to Jesus teach and may have even felt a little special, knowing that Jesus had chosen to use his boat to continue teaching the people. As a side note, for clarification, the Lake of Gennesaret was also known as the Sea of Galilee and referred to as the Sea of Tiberias. This is important to know when reading God’s Word, so that there’s no confusion about the location where Jesus’ ministry took place, and to know that there are no mistakes in God’s Word. Simon was a fisherman by trade and his boat was one of the tools he used to catch fish. Jesus used that same tool to catch mankind with the Truth of His Word. God knows how He has designed us, and when we fully submit to Him, He will use us as His instruments of righteousness to reach those around us with His Gospel.
Challenge & Application
Since Jesus invited you to follow Him, how is He using you to share Him with others?
What tools (gifts, talents, abilities) has God given you and how is He using them through you to reach others with the Gospel?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!