our daily bread

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Dexu Xia

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Oct 6, 2017, 3:21:47 AM10/6/17

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23 What Simon Said

Simon answered, . . . “But because you say so, I will let down the nets." Luke 5:5

A man named Refuge Rabindranath has been a youth worker in Sri Lanka for more than ten years. He often interacts with the youth late into the night—playing with them, listening to them, counseling and teaching them. He enjoys working with the young people, but it can be disheartening when promising students sometimes walk away from the faith. Some days he feels a bit like Simon Peter in Luke 5.

Simon had been working hard all night but caught no fish (v. 5). He felt discouraged and tired. Yet when Jesus told him to “put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch” (v. 4), Simon replied, “Because you say so, I will let down the nets” (v. 5).

God, help us to obey and trust You this day.

Simon’s obedience is remarkable. As a seasoned fisherman, he knew that fish move to the bottom of the lake when the sun is up, and the dragnets they used could not go deep enough to catch those fish.

His willingness to trust Jesus was rewarded. Not only did Simon catch a large number of fish, he gained a deeper understanding of who Jesus is. He moved from calling Jesus “Master” (v. 5) to calling Him “Lord” (v. 8). Indeed, “listening” often allows us to see the works of God firsthand and draw closer to Him.

Perhaps God is calling you to “let down your nets again.” May we reply to the Lord as Simon did: “Because You say so, I will.”

Father, it is our great privilege to call You “Lord.” Help us to obey and trust You, and to learn more of what it means to walk closely with You.

Our obedience to God will guide us through the unknown and draw us closer to Him.

西门的回应

西门说：“……但依从祢的话，我就下网。”-路加福音5章5节

拉夫吉在斯里兰卡从事青年事工，已超过十年之久。他常和年轻人一起交流，和他们玩在一起、听他们说话、开导和教育他们，甚至直到深夜。他喜欢服事年轻人，但有时看着大有前途的学生离开信仰，却使他沮丧不已，让他觉得自己就像路加福音5章里的西门彼得一样。

当时西门整夜劳碌地捕鱼，却一无所获（5节），他既灰心又困倦。然而，当耶稣要他“把船开到水深之处，下网打鱼”（4节）的时候，西门回答说：“依从祢的话，我就下网。”（5节）

西门能如此顺服，可真不容易！身为一名经验老到的渔夫，他当然知道太阳升起后鱼群便会潜入湖底，而他们使用的拖网根本捞不到深处的鱼群。

然而，他愿意信赖耶稣，也因此得着奖赏。西门不仅满载而归，还更深切地认识了耶稣的身分。西门不再称呼耶稣“夫子”（5节），而是称祂为“主”（8节）。的确，“听从”常能使我们亲眼看见上帝的作为，并与祂更亲近。

或许，此时上帝也正在呼唤你再次“下网打鱼”，愿我们能像西门那样回应说：“依从祢的话，我就下网。”

天父，能称祢为“主”是我们极大的殊荣，
求祢帮助我们今日能信从顺服祢，
并更加了解与祢亲密同行的真谛。