The words must have sounded naïve. I wonder if Peter even stifled a snicker. After a long, exhausting—and ultimately unsuccessful—night’s work, he was thinking of a hot breakfast and a comfortable bed. The last thing he needed was some rabbi telling him how to do his job.
It was early morning. Simon Peter, Andrew, James, John, and others had just returned from a night’s fishing and were now cleaning their nets before heading home. Jesus was also by the water—preaching. Even this early in the day the crowds had gathered around Him, so much so that Jesus preached from Peter’s boat.
Then the strange command came. Turning to Peter, Jesus said, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish” (Luke 5:4). But they’d already worked all night without results—the fish simply weren’t there. Jesus was the carpenter turned rabbi—but Peter was the fisherman. This was his area of expertise. Still, Peter obeyed Jesus. And soon his boat was full of flipping, flopping fish (Luke 5:6-7).
Jesus is “Lord of all” (Acts 10:36). He’s even Lord of our careers. In Jesus, Peter met someone who trumped his vocational authority.
Fishing, cooking, architecture, and engineering; mathematics, biology, art, and horticulture; business, manufacturing, marketing, and parenting—Jesus is Lord of it all. Whatever your calling in life, Jesus is your ultimate authority. The One who fills the whole universe (Ephesians 4:10) and readily gives wisdom (Proverbs 2:6; James 1:5) wants to direct your day-to-day work.
The story ends with Peter bowing to Jesus’ authority (Luke 5:8,11). Is Jesus Lord of your Monday to Friday work-life as much as he is of your Sunday worship?
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: 1 Samuel 17:1-31
More:
Read Deuteronomy 2:7 and 8:17-18 to see how God should affect our daily work lives.
Next:
How much do you expect Jesus to help you at work? How could praying about your workday and its tasks affect you?
tom felten on March 27, 2012 at 9:14 am
Great insights, Sheridan. I’m so grateful for the reality that all of our work is sacred—no matter what we do. With God dwelling within us (the Holy Spirit), His holiness and glory are present in our every task and conversation.
sheridan voysey on March 28, 2012 at 3:50 am
That’s it Tom! God’s presence makes things holy, including our work. I think we often miss that. I certainly do.
GChoo on March 27, 2012 at 9:30 am
Thank you Sheridan for your devotion today.
I truly want God to be my Lord of all daily, not just my Sunday worship. I am so grateful we have a God who is there with us all the time only waiting for us to come to Him for wisdom in everything in our lives. This is something which doesn’t come easy with us being so of the world. However, i believe that when we keep praying and trusting, to put in the time each day to read His Word and to reflect what God had done for us in the past and present, it will eventually become a habit to go to God in everything we do. This is my prayer for all and myself. Amen.
sheridan voysey on March 28, 2012 at 3:52 am
So true GChoo. I believe those spiritual practices you’re talking about – prayer and immersion in Scripture – shape us to respond to God throughout the day. The more do it the more it becomes habitual to carry on a conversation with God about all things.
Thanks for your comment.
InHisHands on March 27, 2012 at 9:38 am
It is amazing how often, when reading a devotion or portion of scripture, that my mind says WOW – as though I haven’t heard it before. The day to day life seems to absorb the knowledge we take in and though it seems we are using it, when hearing it anew it is as though the mind says “ah, I should be doing that,” so it is today – my mind says Thank you for this insight (afresh and anew) and please LORD help me to remember every minute of everyday that YOU are LORD of all.
sheridan voysey on March 28, 2012 at 3:54 am
Amen to that.
boisepadre on March 27, 2012 at 3:38 pm
Working in the Data Processing Department of a large International Fortune 500 Company, I was charged with “debugging” a problem computer program. I had gone through the program several times, correcting every error and making every conceivable improvement. Still, the obvious problem persisted.
I and a few other “experts” combed the program one last time and declared it perfect. But it really wasn’t perfect you know and, somehow, it had to be corrected. So, there I was, taking yet another shot at it and getting nowhere. Finally, totally frustrated, I threw my pencil up in the air (and it stuck in the ceiling) and exclaimed (right out loud), “Lord God, I don’t know what I’m doing!”
And He said, “Change that.”
To which I responded, “That hasn’t got anything to do with it, Lord.”
And He said, “Change it.”
So…. I changed it and ran the program. And it ran perfectly!
Well, then I reported the whole thing to my boss, just the same way as I’ve told it here. And I finished up my report with, “I still don’t know how, but I know Who.”
My boss’s response? “Uhhhh, d’ya think you could get Him to provide documentation?”
James 1:5-6 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt….
sheridan voysey on March 28, 2012 at 3:57 am
I love this story Boisepadre! And I laughed at that second-last paragraph! Thanks so much for sharing. A wonderful illustration of what this devotional was all about.
hdlim on March 27, 2012 at 5:56 pm
Wonderful post, boisepadre. Here’s one from the flipside. After many months of looking for a job, I was offered one and took it. Not my ideal job but I said to myself, “I’ll work hard and get myself promoted within 2 years, just like what happended at the previous job.” After 3 months, the manager gave me a bad report and would not confirm me. Word got to the more senior manager who decided to move me to another manager to give me another chance. But after 3 months, the new manager would not confirm me either. The senior boss was good enough to gave me a 6-month contract and then they let me go. 6 months after leaving, I am still looking for a job. Looking back, I feel I had too much confidence in myself and that took away from my reliance from God. I still think I was qualified to do the job, but many things in the world are beyond our control. Our own confidence, determination, qualification, planning etc aren’t always enough, even if the world tells us that’s all we need. I need to remember to rely on Him always.
sheridan voysey on March 28, 2012 at 3:59 am
An equally important story to share hdlim. Thanks for your vulnerability, and for journeying with God on this and sharing the lesson of humility and humble reliance on Christ.
nivla on March 28, 2012 at 5:47 am
Thanks for the msg.. I needed it badly.
I also worked in an IT company, solving technical issues from requesters/application users.
I must admit, I am no technical person much less programmer. I graduated with an economics degree but is soaked in procurement IT. I often ask,..why am I here? I always question my competence and technical knowhow… But after a while I will stop and recollect on the days I was desperately praying to God “please give me this job”. :/
Bottomline, I do not consider GOD as the omnipresent and omnipotent being. I realized I just do not let Him intervene in my work. I SHOULD LET HIM IN. I SHOULD LET HIM BE LORD in whatever I do. I should seek his power and his blessings in all the works of my hand.
Still praying for His will, if this career path is really for me. But just the same, as long as I am here, I will deliver.
nivla on March 28, 2012 at 11:01 am
Reading through the comments and other posts,
Hearing other stories of others getting laid off, struggling to find a job…
I thought to my myself.. “Praise You Lord; I have a JOB!”
Apologies for being selfish and egocentric.
winn collier on April 1, 2012 at 2:19 pm
Good word, Sheridan. I like that Jesus and Jesus’ gospel invigorate all of creation with meaning and sanctity. I also like that it takes courage for us to obey Jesus in these places.
Miska has these words from Mary Oliver on our kitchen blackboard right now:
That light is an
invitation to happiness
and that happiness,
when it’s done right
is a kind of holiness,
palpable and
redemptive.