​Relationship

Luke 5:1-11: 
One day Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on Him to listen to the Word of God….So He sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.  When He had finished speaking He said to Simon….
 
When I was in high school I played basketball. Sometimes the crowds that came to watch us were small and there were times when those crowds were pretty big. But, no matter the size of the crowd I always looked for the same couple of faces and wanted to know where they were sitting – my parents. I wanted to know where they were so I could see their reaction after my phenomenal play (ha!). 

On this day Jesus was preaching to a large crowd. It was so big He had to get into a boat in the sea to have space to talk. He got into Simon’s boat and shared the Word of God. What strikes me is that when He was done He spoke directly to Simon. In the midst of the crowd of people He knew the frustration Simon was experiencing and the lack of fish they caught. So, He took time to be with Simon and then invited Simon, James, and John to come follow Him. Out of that big crowd He knew where they were and what they were going through.

God is in the midst of an even bigger crowd today – every human on the planet. Out of that big crowd God knows your name and knows exactly what you are going through. Out of that big crowd He is extending you a personal invitation to come follow Him – to catch more fish! Think about that – out of the big crowd of people you are the one God is looking for! 

I know Jesus performed a miracle here by helping Simon and his crew catch more fish than the net could carry. But, the fact that Jesus took time to get to know and care about Simon specifically is just as miraculous. It shows how much He cares for us.

Know today that God cares about you – He knows where you are – He knows what you are going through. He wants a relationship with you. He wants you to cast your net in the right place – to live your life the right and best way. Listen to His voice and say yes to His invitation to come follow Him. You won’t regret it.
 
Praying for you!
Pastor Matt