GodReflection: Power Word Wednesday
To believe is not a natural response.
It’s learned behavior.
Because of the actions of my parents I learned to believe in them. They were worthy of trust.
To believe is a word so common it passes through my mouth, before my eyes, and into my ears countless times each day.
In sports stadiums fans encourage fellow spectators and their team with signs held high that read “We believe”.
The optimist believes the best. The pessimist believes the worst.
Yet, there is a “believe” that rises above daily usage. Its basis is tied to the eternal.
To believe receives it maximum power and its highest degree of authenticity when connected to Jesus.
I love Jesus selection of fisherman to be the core of his apostolic band.
I’ve fished enough to know that it’s not done in business casual dress.
Fishermen are a unique subset of the human species. They smell like their work. It’s a nasty business. Bait, blood, guts, fish-stench, and scale removal morph into a smelly perfume that only fisherman wear.
Fishermen are authentic. My grandpa was a fisherman and he made it his mission to weave the experience of fishing into my earliest memories.
I learned early that fishing brings the heart and soul of a person into the open.
Fishermen live by faith in the future.
There is no guarantee of a catch. Night and day they cast nets, bait lines, and believe ahead of time in the reward of a catch.
Two fishing trips in the Gospels tie belief to Jesus. Both serve as bookends to the story of Simon Peter’s faith in Jesus as Divine Son of God.
The first story tells of Peter, James, and John’s futile night of fishing. All fishermen know the feeling of long hours with no success.
Jesus was preaching good news. Simon and his partners washed nets that smell of seaweed rather than fish. Perhaps they finished the cleaning project and reloaded the boat for another night.
As the crowd grows Jesus joins Peter in his boat. Boats make good pulpits for lakes and hillsides. Jesus finishes his sermon and directs his invitation to Peter: “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”
Simon responds in obedience—and most likely with minimal expectation: “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
Jesus spoke the truth.
Simon Peter, astonished at the breaking nets filled with fish starts his journey to belief and fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything, and followed him.
Between the bookends of two fishing trips are the accounts of Simon’s good days and not so good days. (If it hasn’t been written a great title for a book would be A Simon like me.)
On perhaps his worst day, Peter denies Jesus and his hope is crucified.
Simon filled with guilty is ready to get away and go fishing.
Now I read Johns’ account of the second bookend fishing trip that sealed Peter’s belief. A seal so tight he would never doubt again. Once more it was a night of hard work with nothing to show for the effort.
Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”
“No,” they answered.
He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for 
he had taken it off) and jumped into the water.
Have you ever thought about your own proverbial fishing encounters with Jesus that mark the start and the climax of your “I believe” bookends?
I would love to hear the story of your own bookends of belief.
Stay tuned.
Dr. Gary J. Sorrells – A GodReflection on Believe.
God Reflection 