Dare to Step Out at His Word
This morning, I want to take you to a powerful moment from the Gospels.
Picture this: It’s early morning, the shoreline is quiet except for the sounds of tired fishermen washing their nets. Among them is Simon, weary from a whole night of effort… casting, rowing, trying again and again… and catching absolutely nothing.
And then our Lord Jesus shows up.
He steps into Simon’s boat and begins to teach the crowd from the water. And after He’s done, He turns to Simon with a surprising instruction:
“Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch” (Luke 5:4).
Notice that Jesus didn’t say, “Try again near the shore.” He said, “Launch out into the deep.”
Now, the deep is unfamiliar territory. It’s sometimes the place beyond our idea of what’s comfortable. It’s beyond our experience, our skill set, beyond what’s familiar.
And Simon candidly replies: “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing…”
You can almost hear the exhaustion in his voice, and maybe even these unspoken thoughts:
“We’re professionals. We have been doing this for a long time. We know these waters. There’s no fish out there today.”
“What could a carpenter from Nazareth possibly know about fishing?”
But then comes this quiet surrender that changes everything: “… nevertheless, at Your word I will let down the net.”
That, right there, was the turning point.
Simon chose to take the Lord at His word, even when it didn’t make sense. Even when it went against his own experience. Even when his logic, his training, and his instincts all said, “This won’t work.”
And what happened?
They pulled in the biggest catch of their lives! There were so many fish that the nets began to break, and the boats began to sink.
That’s what happens when you dare to step out and follow the Lord.
Maybe you’re feeling like Simon today. Maybe for you, the Lord has been putting something on your heart that feels a little scary. Maybe it’s a new assignment, a conversation you’ve been avoiding, a change you sense coming. And part of you wants to stay where it feels safe, where you’ve done things before, and you know what to expect.
But could it be… He’s calling you to launch out into the deep?
Now hear me, I’m not saying be reckless. I’m not telling you to throw counsel to the wind or make decisions out of emotion. But I am inviting you to take the dreams, the promptings, and the ideas the Lord has placed in your heart and bring them before Him.
Talk to Him about them.
Search His Word.
Lean in to godly leadership and wise counsel.
And then, when you sense His peace, step out.
Stepping out can simply look like seeking advice in the church, sharing with your godly friends, and coming together to pray.
It might not look like much at first. But when it’s His Word you’re standing on… get ready.
Because just like Simon, you may be on the verge of the greatest catch of your life when you follow the Lord’s leading.