As soon as they saw what God could do, they left everything, EVERYTHING, and followed Jesus.

Think about all the moments in your life where God has shown up, where He has shown out on your behalf. Think about answered prayers, the loud ones and the soft ones. In all of the times God has brought you through, have you ever once thought about walking away from everything you know, everything you own, and relentlessly pursuing Him?

That is what Simon does here. He was frustrated and disappointed in his current situation. Jesus shows up in the flesh. He tells him to try again, but this time to go further out, to push himself. Simon hesitates and reminds Him that this has not worked in the past, but then follows through with what he is asked to do. And because of his faith and his trust, he is blessed abundantly. His partners witness his blessing. Because of his faith, others follow Jesus. Because God showed up and showed out, Simon drops everything he is doing and goes to fish for men. He goes to spread the gospel to everyone who would listen.

Heart:
Where are you in this? As we recap this story, can you relate to Simon? When you think about your blessings, your prayers, your bold God moments, have you ever shared those with anyone? Have you ever shared pieces of your story, your testimony, with someone else? Imagine what a movement there would be if we were all open and willing to share what God has done in our lives with others.

Soul:
Do you fear the unknown, the uncharted territory you feel like God may be calling you to? Are you fearful of the uncertainty of change, of surrendering what you thought your plan was and chasing after what your purpose truly is?

You are not alone. Surrender is intense, but it is also freeing. The most vivid picture I have in my mind is Abraham in Genesis 22. In this story, God asks Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, as a burnt offering. Abraham does as he is told. In his final act of surrender, he ties him with a rope and lays him on the altar. An angel of the Lord appears and tells him not to lay a hand on Isaac, and a ram appears in the bushes to take Isaac’s place on the altar.

What does your surrender look like today? What is God pressing on your heart to do, to fully surrender to all that He has for you?

Strength:
I think we have all had those moments, the ones where God has done something amazing, something bold in our lives, and it makes us feel on fire. It makes us want to shout from the rooftops how amazing He is. I think that is how Simon felt that day.

What has changed in us that our daily surrender looks different? That our shouts can become a whisper. That our faithful steps can become a tiptoe. Did we forget where we were and what He brought us out of?

Simon Peter left EVERYTHING and followed Him when he saw what God had done. He completely surrendered. Where is your heart today? When you look back at all that God has brought you through, where did your passion go? Where is your surrender now? What are the full nets God has walked with you through and blessed you with? How can you share that part of your story, your testimony?