What Would You Do if You Hit the Jackpot??

I'm supposed to be reading through Luke in my morning quiet time.  But I keep going back to Luke 5:1-11...it's a familiar story, but this idea keeps rolling through my mind:

Peter, James, John, and possibly other men, at Jesus' command, pull in the biggest catch of their lives.  It was so big, the nets broke - and yet STILL they "filled both ships, so that they began to sink." (verse 7).

This is what they did for a living.  This catch was no doubt THE biggest catch they'd ever had - the biggest "payday" of their lives!  Can you imagine - what if they could catch fish like this EVERY night?  They'd be RICH!  No more worries, no more stress - think of all the GOOD they could do with their new-found wealth!

But verse 11 says, "When they brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him."

     They left the fish in the boats.
     They left the boats on the shore.    
     They didn't run to the market.
     They didn't run to the bank.
     They didn't even run and tell their families.

Their eyes were not on the fish, the catch, the "paycheck."  Nor were their eyes on what the could DO with that paycheck.

     Their eyes were on Jesus.
     Their focus was on the man who created the fish.  Who made it possible to catch the fish.
     Their focus was on Jesus - because Jesus Himself is greater than any "paycheck."

And I keep wondering - where's my focus?

The Peter Progression

A few days ago during my morning quiet time, I was reading in Mark 14.  It wasn't a new passage for me, but I found the footnotes in my bible to be somewhat intriguing, for they caused me to do some hard thinking.

This passage of scripture deals with Peter's declaration of utter devotion to the Lord and ends with his bitter weeping as he denies Christ, just as Jesus had told him he would.  The footnotes on this passage point out the progressive steps that happened between Point A and Point B - and this I found interesting:

1. Peter is over-confident (v29-31) - he claims absolute devotion without understanding all that is taking and will take place.
2. Peter is not praying (v37, 40-41) - Jesus only takes 3 men with him while he goes to pray, yet they fall asleep.  Even if they didn't understand everything Jesus was telling them, they would have had to notice his solemn demeanor and could have been praying with him or for him.
3. Peter didn't listen to Christ (v.47, Luke 22:49-51).  Christ is not upset by the approach of Judas and the soldiers, yet Peter gets all riled up and chops off an ear!  He was very obviously not following Christ's example.
4. Peter associated with the wrong crowd (v54) - Peter tries to blend in with the servants around the fire.  (I admit, I'm not 100% convinced of this point; it seems a little weak to me, but I also didn't take the time to develop it)
5. Peter reverted to old habits (v.71) - he was cursing and using language a Christ-follower should not be using.
6. Peter out-right denied knowing Jesus (v71).

So I read through these notes a few times, and I was somewhat discouraged, for the downward progression really didn't take so very long.  But then I wondered if you could REVERSE the spiral...

1. Confess Jesus Christ as Lord & Savior!  Salvation is the beginning of new life.
2. Give up old habits.  You are a new creation (2 Cor 5:17) - old things need to pass away!  And they can when you rely on God.  (Phil. 4:13)
3. Surround yourself with godly people who love the Lord!  (Hebrews 10:25)
4. "Listen" to the Lord by: going to a bible-preaching church, reading and studying God's word for yourself, praying and listening, seeking godly counsel.
5. Pray!  Don't just ask others to pray for you; you need to pray yourself - and not just FOR yourself, but for others, always seeking to glorify God in your prayers.  (Eph. 6:18, Eph. 5:20)
6. Put your confidence in the Lord.  (Eph 3:12, Phil 1:6)

How encouraged I was by this!!  The steps to growing really aren't big steps, either!!  What an encouragement to know we don't have to make gigantic strides in order to be growing in the Lord - we just need to take baby steps.  And little by little he molds us into His image.

Have a blessed day, y'all!