From now on you will be catching men. 

It seems pretty clear from Jesus’ words what he is getting at here.   Peter and the other disciples are going to be doing a different kind of fishing now.   No more boats, no more nets.   Instead, they will be going out and catching people and carrying them to Jesus Christ and his gospel.

But in this familiar story, there’s a connection between the miracle of Peter’s great catch of fish and Jesus’ call to evangelize that we can easily miss:  it wasn’t Peter’s great catch!   Without Jesus, Peter wouldn’t have caught one single fish that morning.   But with Jesus, he caught so many fish that his nets were in danger of breaking.   Sure, Peter still had to put his nets out so that he could haul the fish in.   But this great haul did not depend only on Peter’s natural ability.   It was only after he basically said, “I will listen to you and not just my own logic” that he found where the fish were.

That’s an important lesson for us to learn as well.   The Lord has some specific callings for each of us in this life, things that only we can do.   So how do we answer that call?   Of course, God wants us to use our natural abilities.   But he also wants us to acknowledge our need for help—and not just when we work really hard and come up empty!   He wants us to call on him in whatever we are doing.   And just as Peter was astonished by the great haul of fish, so might we be when we see how God can enhance and multiply our own efforts.

Today, take the time to focus on what you can do with God.   He is already with you—but take some time to consciously bring him into your activities.   If you’re at home and the children are acting up, ask him for strength, grace, and patience.   If you’re facing a challenging issue at work, ask him to inspire you and give you wisdom.   You’re not just throwing empty words at the sky—God is a father, and he wants you to call on him.   So trust that, indeed, “all things are possible” when you rely on him!

Word Among Us