Ride the wave of the unexpected

Jesus' line, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men" is included in the books of Matthew, Mark and Luke, but Matthew (4:18-22) and Mark (1:16-20) say little more than Jesus passed by and called His disciples this way. Luke tells a longer tale (5:1-11). Luke's account tells that Jesus went into the boat as a result of the pressing crowd and taught from the boat first. Then, after having taught the people, he told Simon to let out the nets. Simon protested "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing!"

If Simon had toiled all night unsuccessfully, why did he take Jesus out on his boat to let Him teach the crowds? Why not just go home and go to bed? If he knew about Jesus, why not ask him for fish to begin with? Maybe he was just too tired to care and figured he wasn't catching fish anyway. 

My Bible's footnotes label this story as "the unexpected catch." It was certainly unexpected to have a tiring, unsuccessful night fishing, then decide to take a man out on his boat to use as a teaching platform. Then it was unexpected to have this same man say, go fish! And what a catch! Then, on the ride of this wave of success, He says, give up the fish and follow Me. Ride the wave of the unexpected!

Ride the wave of the unexpected as you follow Jesus. It will have it's ups and downs and may even turn your definition of success on its head, but successful you will be.

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and return not thither but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in thing for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:9-11