…Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. — Luke 5:4b

Peter had fished all night. He was a professional fisherman by trade. He had caught nothing, and was cleaning his nets because it was daylight and time to go home. Peter was probably tired because he had been up all night, and could not wait to go home and go to bed. But along comes a preacher, a preacher who probably never fished a day in His life! He didn’t know anything about fishing. “He should stick to preaching and let me do the fishing!” But Peter decided to obey the word of the Lord, not excited or expecting to receive, but simply to make Jesus happy and then go home. But to Peter’s surprise, to his shock, they enclosed a great number of fishes and their net broke. Why didn’t he let down the nets for a catch (as Jesus said) instead of only one net? “I never thought I would catch anything! I had fished all night, it was now daylight, and the fish could see the nets. Nobody catches fish in the daytime! This doesn’t make fishing sense. This goes beyond all I know as a fisherman.” Even though it was a simple, reluctant, half-obedience to the Master, it resulted in a mighty miracle of provision for Peter. …Where have you failed to obey God? Where did you know more about something than God did and does? Forget what you know in the natural, and obey God’s Word. Your miracle is a “yes” away.

And they…filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. — Luke 5:7

Because of Peter’s half-obedience to the command of Jesus, because he knew more than Jesus about fishing, because he "knew" he was not going to catch any fish based on his experience, Peter almost lost his boat, his partner’s boat, and the giant catch of fish. How many times have we failed to obey God’s Word and then did not get the promise for which we had been believing? What God intended for a great blessing, what God intended to be the harvest of Peter’s lending his boat for the gospel’s sake, almost turned to disaster! Peter knew he had missed it. He knew he had partly obeyed. So he repented for his disobedience. So many times in your Christian life, you miss your miracle because of some small blockage in your life. That one person you need to forgive, that one person you need to bless, that one decision you need to make to pray and read the Word…whatever He is telling you to do–-do it! If He says build an ark–-build it! If He says, come out on the water–-go! If He says, let down your nets, let them down! Obedience to His Word and His voice will start a miracle in your life! Your miracle is just one “yes” away. Today if you hear His voice, harden not your heart.

Repent...and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. — Acts 2:38

There are many reasons that God sent Jesus to die for us. Most of the Church’s teaching on that event centers on the fact that we can be saved and go to heaven. We have sung songs about heaven and expressed our desire in prayer to get off this crummy earth, go to streets of gold and mansions made for us, and to live in God’s presence. All this is true and brings a good hope for the believer, but in this verse Peter gives a main reason to repent:  so you can receive the gift of the Holy Ghost!  The Holy Ghost is the main reason for Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.  His presence in your life will turn this crummy earth into a place of power, ministry, and His presence. You do not have to be absent from the body to be present with the Lord. You can live in God’s presence today through the person of the Holy Ghost. You are then expected to pass Him down to your children and to all who are afar off (v. 39). The Holy Ghost is your key to a joyful, peaceful, fulfilled life here on earth. You must understand that the reason you are here, and the work that you are called to do, will only be fulfilled through the Holy Spirit’s influence in your daily life. Each day, this day, must not be just another ordinary day of work, eat, and sleep. Make a difference–-make an impact on someone today through the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law...that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

— Galatians 3:13a, 14b

Christ died on the cross, became a curse on the cross, redeemed us from the curse, so that we could do more than just die and go to heaven. It was so that we could receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Until Christ died, was buried, and was raised, we could not receive the Spirit. We were all sinners and fell short of the glory of God. But the sinner died with Christ, was buried with Christ, and the new man rose with Christ. This new man was created to be the house of God, the temple of God (1 Cor 3:16). You, as the new man, were made righteous and holy (Eph. 4:24) so you could receive the Spirit through faith. You were not born again just to receive the Spirit and go to heaven, but to receive the Spirit and change the earth for the glory of God!  Jesus prayed "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done." His will, will only be done by the power of the Spirit in and upon a human being. Whenever you allow the Spirit to flow through you and impact the world, His Kingdom has come with power. Get to know the Spirit of God, allow Him to change your thoughts into God-thoughts and your ways into His ways through the Word of God. You have been redeemed from the curse in order to receive the greatest blessing ever given to man-–the Holy Ghost!