Safety In the Shallows

I enjoy seeing the ocean, hearing the waves, walking on the beach and taking in the beautiful horizons, but getting into the water is another story. Stepping into the ocean triggers a fear of the unknown for me. There are thousands of things swimming in the waters let alone the power and force of the waves. Even watching movies about storms at sea causes me to tense up and feel anxious.

When I was planning our recent fishing trip to Cabo, I chose to book a small fishing boat rather than a large one because I was concerned about being to far out to sea and it was less expensive. The waves are bigger the further out you go and I like to keep a view of the shoreline; it feels safer that way. The down side is that the fish are smaller closer to shore.

On our excursion we caught a couple of fish which was a thrilling experience and as we returned to port the captain raised flags representing the types of fish that we had caught, a Mahi Mahi and a Mackerel. The captain pointed out other large boats returned with Marlin flags waving in the breeze and mentioned that they must have had a great experience that day going out into the deeper waters.

It made me wonder how many great experiences I miss because I want the safety of the shallows. I want to have the security of viewing the shore at all times and not stray to far from my comfort zone.

There is a reason for the saying, “Going deeper with God.” Going deeper requires more. More faith, more determination, more sacrifice, more commitment and more work. But the rewards are far greater.

If I had been willing to be more adventurous by showing a little faith and spend a little more we might have caught a Marlin. Catching a marlin would have also required more commitment, determination and work, but imagine how joyful it would have been to return to port with a large catch and a victory flag waving in the breeze.

Jesus calls us to be fishers of men. A good question to ask ourselves is, “Where am I fishing?” There is safety in the shallows, but the reward and adventure are much greater when we go deep.

In the bible story, Peter chose to go deeper and although his nets has been empty that night, later at Pentecost 3000 souls were saved! I’m sure that like the captain of the fishing boat, the Lord was very pleased and Peter heard the words, “Well done!”

My Prayer

Father, thank you for the adventures You offer to me. I know that I often play it safe and so now I am praying for more. More faith, determination, commitment, sacrifice and anything else required to go deeper with You. Not only will I be spending more time in Your presence, but to be a part of Your work is an honor and a privilege. Thank you for the invitation to follow You and become a fisher of men. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Where does my help come from?

Matthew 4:19

And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”