I hope you are having a GREAT day today where ever you may be and whatever you may be led to do today. I am enjoying just a bit more coffee after a nice breakfast. I plan to act like Peter today; follow Jesus and go fishing. Shortly after my wife died I took up fishing. Other than two or three times as a child I have never really gone fishing. It was always a sport I disliked. Indeed, as a sport, I still dislike it. I am not quite sure even yet why the Lord led me to buy all this equipment and take up fishing.
But, I have noticed something about fishing. When people talk about fishing they seem to be talking about two completely different activities. Some are talking about fishing and others are talking about catching. I have proven that one can successfully spend hours and hours fishing without ever catching anything. But, there are some proficient fishermen who seem to spend very little time or money fishing but they are frequently involved in catching fish.
I have on occasion thought about giving away or throwing away all my fishing gear because I so detest the sport of fishing. Alas, I have a few friends who are not just fishermen; they are catchers of fish. So hope springs eternal that some how I will develop the skills or buy the right lures or whatever it takes to become a catcher not just a fisher.
It seems that Peter had some experiences like this. Pete, along with family and friends, was apparently a successful catcher of fish. It was the way he fed his family. But Jesus interferes with that. Jesus gave him the idea that instead of catching fish Pete might catch men. And this Jesus character was very persuasive. He told experienced fishermen to put the net on the other side of the boat. The net became so full they had to get help to handle the catch. So Pete decided to follow him.
Now Pete, like myself, seemed to be a slow learner. Once Jesus was so concerned about what Pete was learning that He said Pete was more like Satan than like Jesus. Another time Jesus had to put a man’s ear back on because Pete had violated that basic principal of ‘do no harm’.
But then Jesus, the disciple making rabbi, got Himself crucified and told Pete to wait in Jerusalem until Holy Spirit showed up. The very day Pete got filled with Holy Spirit his fishing for men changed to catching. Indeed, once again like when he was first getting to know Jesus, Pete cast a net out on this unfamiliar side of life and he caught so many men he had no hope taking care of the catch without help.
The presence of Holy Spirit makes all the difference.
His, thus Yours,
Stuart
His-Family 
If you ever decide to put down your fishing rod you can throw it my way 🙂 I haven’t fished since I was in school and it was something I did every day as a kid before school. I loved it. Forget the fancy fishing lures. All you need is a real worm on a hook to catch any fish ❤
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Ah to have again the expertise I had when I was a child. I remember how good it felt to be an absolute expert in every subject. If you were having a problem with anything just ask me and I would tell you. Whether it is for catching fish or men the older we get the less we are ready to offer sure fire solutions. In my very limited experience getting a good guide and following his directions seems to be the most effective way to find the right bait.
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