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Duc In Altum
This week's focus: Faith
While in Israel, I enjoyed visiting the Sea of Galilee. It was there that I noticed a church called Duc in Altum. Not knowing what that meant, I looked it up and found it is Latin for “put out into the deep” based on Luke 5:4, when Jesus said to Simon,
“Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
Simon Peter didn’t understand Jesus’ request to row to the deep part of the sea and let down his nets, but he obeyed anyway. As a result, his obedience brought blessings beyond number when his fishing nets began to tear due to the amount of fish he caught. Simon Peter witnessed the depth of Jesus’ grace, ability, and power. This encounter motivated the first disciples to leave everything and follow Him—but this time, they would be “fishers of men.”
There are so many things we can learn from this one encounter to include:
- Don’t make excuses, but obey, even if we don’t understand the Lord’s methods. The world provides plenty of opportunities for us to put Proverbs 3:5-6 into action when we trust the Lord and choose not to lean on our understanding.
- We can’t out-give our generous God. Simon showed kindness to Jesus by giving Him his boat—and Jesus miraculously returned the favor in abundance.
- God sees all of our efforts and rewards them. Jesus knew that Simon worked all night and caught nothing. However, this temporary disappointment only added to the joy experienced when, with the help of Jesus, they caught more than they could have asked or hoped for.
Our Heavenly Father wants all of us to experience miracles, but like the first disciples, we must be willing to “put out into the deep” and do our part. Blessings are rarely found in the shallows but require effort (spiritually, mentally, and physically.) However, when we walk in faith and step out of our comfort zone, we get to enter the miracle zone. Only then do we realize that faith is a Fantastic Adventure In Trusting Him.
by: Jennifer McAlister for My Faith Votes
Luke 5:4
"Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
Prayer Points:
Pray: Dear Lord, Thank you that You invite us to work alongside You. May we never give up because our task is challenging or we don’t understand. By faith, we will follow you and cast our nets into the deep. Thank you for the peace we have because we know that You are in the boat with us. We love you, Lord, Amen.
Think: "Here, the dumb fish clearly preach Christ to be the Son of God." - John Trapp
Act: Sunday, September 17 is My Faith Votes’ 5th annual National Voter Registration Sunday. Make sure your church participates! Visit our special website, Voter Registration Sunday, to access free tools and resources for your church. There is a step-by-step guide explaining how to lead a successful non-partisan voter registration drive in your church. Within the guide, you will find links to resources that are designed specifically for you, including: media graphics, drafted messaging for social media, church emails, videos and best practice tips to ensure your drive is a success. Leverage the resources that make the most sense for your church. Our prayer is that God would use you to help activate more Christ-followers in your church to bring their faith into the voting booth.
We want to see God honored in America, and we pray for an unprecedented spiritual awakening.
This devotion was produced in partnership with Every Home for Christ.
This ministry is made possible by the generous support of friends like you.