Launching Into the Deep

 

Hello beautiful women!

 

I opened my Bible to get a fresh word and the Lord brought me to Luke Chapter 5:4, 0ne of my all-time favorite scriptures.  It reads “When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, ‘Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.’”  I love this story and this verse.  Imagine these men, Simon and other fishermen, trying to catch fish all night and coming up with nothing.  They are tired and worn out.  They are ready to go home.  They are done.  Yet Jesus comes and gets into Simon’s boat and begins to teach the multitudes from the boat.  When He’s done speaking, He tells Simon “throw down your net”.  Simon answers him saying “We’ve toiled all night and have caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word, I will let down the net” (verse 5).  The story goes on to say that Simon goes ahead and is obedient to Jesus and once he lets down his net, he catches so many fish that he has to call for help and the boats begin to sink because of the amount of fish they caught.

When you think about water that is deep, it’s a scary thing.  You can’t see the bottom, you don’t know the depth of the water. I get freaked out at the thought of something biting my feet.  I think I’ve watched Shark Week one too many times so my mind instantly goes to danger.  Deep water is typically darker than shallow water and it’s colder.  Typically when you get into trouble, you may say “I’m in too deep” or “I’m in deep water”.

Here, in this story, Jesus tells Simon to “launch into the deep”.  He doesn’t say “timidly go into the deep”.  He uses the word “launch”.  This word automatically makes me think of a rocket launching into the air.  With all it’s force and all of it’s might, it launches out there into the unknown.  Have you ever wondered why Jesus uses the word ‘launch’ in this scripture and not any other word? I wonder if it’s because in order to go into the deep waters, you need to just do it!  You need to muster up the courage and go for it.  Knowing that it’s deep water, a scary environment, you need courage to launch.

As women, I think sometimes we put our dreams and our passions on the back-burner until we’re handed an opportunity. For instance, there’s research that shows that when there is opportunity for promotion in the workplace, women don’t typically go for it because they talk themselves out of the opportunity.  A lot of “I’m not qualified enough” and “there’s someone more qualified than me” talk goes on.  Whereas for men, they don’t even have to be qualified for the position yet they will apply for the promotion.

I don’t want to get into gender stereotypes and the male vs. female sex battle.  I just want to ask you, “what is God calling you to do that you are putting off because you’re afraid?”  What are the opportunities that God Himself have said are for you but you continue to allow fear to dictate your destiny?  Dear Sisters, I encourage you to Launch into the Deep courageously, boldly, with strength and power that only comes from God.

Today is the day, this week is the week, this month is the month, this year is the year.  It’s time.

 

God bless you.  Have an amazing rest of the week!