“When he had stopped speaking, he said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch.”
Luke 5:4 NKJV
Two weeks ago I ticked one item off my bucket list. For my longtime readers you know that I come from a racing family. Well, this drag racing girl drove a stock car her very first time at an oval track! For my birthday Todd bought me the “Rusty Wallace Racing Experience” so I could check off attending a driving school from my bucket list. I hadn’t driven a standard car in decades, so I forgot how they launch forward when coming out of gear. I wasn’t very fast on the bends, but this drag chick put the peddle to the metal on the straightaways. Next time I’ll master the curve!
Luke 5 tells the story of Jesus calling His first disciples. After Jesus commandeers Simon Peter’s fishing boat to preach a message for the growing crowd, He spends time with the fishermen in the boats. After a long night of fishing these men had been washing their nets ready to go home. They hadn’t caught a fish all night when the carpenter/preacher instructs the fishermen to launch out into the deep and let down their nets for a catch.
I can only imagine how tired they were. I’m sure the thoughts of more work doing the same thing that didn’t work all night long wasn’t on the top of their bucket list, but when the men followed Jesus’ advice they landed the greatest haul of fish they had ever caught.
Understanding the word launch means “to throw forward, catapult, send off…put into operation…set in motion,,,spring forward…make a start”1, helps me to see that Jesus instructions for the boys to launch out into the deep was the call that catapulted them forward into the plan God had for their lives. Obedience, followed up with some hard work shifted their lives into high gear.
[tweetthis]Obedience, followed up with some hard work can shift our lives into high gear.[/tweetthis]
God has opened up the opportunity to run a full scale book launch for the Soul H2O Devotional. It’s exciting and scary; deep waters always are. I believe the book launch has the potential to catapult my calling into new arenas that God has for me. So, how about you? What might God be asking you to launch out into the deep with today?
Prayer
Father…Thank You for staying in the boat when you ask me to launch out into the deep. Help me to remember that I’m not alone. You’re with me, guiding me at every turn. Let my obedience and hard work catapult me forward, racing towards the goals You’ve set for me! In Jesus Name…Amen
1 https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/launch
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Post in the Comment Section below and bolster the faith of someone else!

I had never given much thought to that big verb: LAUNCH! It certainly implies forward movement, and your words today challenge me to be watching and listening for the Spirit’s prompting.
Michele, you are truly a woman who has allowed the Father to lead her out into the deep. The exciting part is that we never “arrive”. There’s always more, always deeper in this journey of faith. It just never gets boring 🙂
Praying you’re blessed and refreshed today,
~Sherry
xoxo
Sherry, your book sounds great! If you are interested in promoting it through Interviews & Reviews please let me know. I’d love to interview you. You can find out what we do at http://www.interviewsandreviews.com
Thanks Laura! I am very interested in your Interviews & Reviews. I would love to be interviewed by you. I’ll check out your site and send you an email. If you want you can email me directly since you have me on your list already. Be blessed!
~Sherry
Great analogy! Yes, it does take hard work with the obedience, but God is always worth it. Btw, you look so comfortable next to that car. 🙂
Oh Kelly I am comfortable around race cars! Really any kind of cars. I’m just not your normal girl 🙂 I seriously had so much fun at the racing school. I can’t wait to do it next summer. Todd is going to come with me next time. Now back to the holy stuff 🙂 Not sure if you read any of Mark Batterson’s books but he often says “Pray like it depends on God and work like it depends on you”. I’m trying to find the balance in there and not working too hard to push anything but making sure I do my best. That I believe is what launches us forward!
Have a blessed day!
~Sherry
xoxo
Sherry, congratulations on so many levels….drag racing, book launch; so very exciting! I love every story of how God honors obedience and hard work:)
Thanks Crystal! He sure seems to like that combination doesn’t He 🙂 Hope it inspires you to Launch Out Into The Deep in your life.
~Sherry
xoxo