Please don’t think I am lifting ourselves up! This act was just a small part of the legacy of trained obedience to God. We know God doesn’t need our small tithes and offerings nor does He depend on them to fulfill His purpose. We knew we had to be disciplined enough to give back, cheerfully and expectantly, knowing full well we can never out give our gracious Father, God. To this day, I cannot imagine doing anything else. We are just ordinary people serving an extraordinary God.

This long term giving habit leads to other giving behaviors that become automatic, or “second nature”, without thinking. When God presents an opportunity to help someone with an immediate need, we don’t necessarily stop to count the cost of our labor and resources, we just quickly help. It occurs to me that I am blessed with this legacy of learning that leads to this “second nature”, this habit of doing, without thinking of what you will get in return. When we give, there are no strings attached. We trust God.

Maybe it is odd that the passage that I read today makes me think about giving and how God gives back to us. Read His Word for yourself. “Go out into the deeper waters of your own thoughts and see what God will say to you through His Holy Spirit. You will be blessed either way.

Luke 5, The Message
Push Out into Deep Water
5 1-3 Once when he was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, the crowd was pushing in on him to better hear the Word of God. He noticed two boats tied up. The fishermen had just left them and were out scrubbing their nets. He climbed into the boat that was Simon’s and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Sitting there, using the boat for a pulpit, he taught the crowd.

4 When he finished teaching, he said to Simon, “Push out into deep water and let your nets out for a catch.”

5-7 Simon said, “Master, we’ve been fishing hard all night and haven’t caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I’ll let out the nets.” It was no sooner said than done—a huge haul of fish, straining the nets past capacity. They waved to their partners in the other boat to come help them. They filled both boats, nearly swamping them with the catch.

8-10 Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell to his knees before Jesus. “Master, leave. I’m a sinner and can’t handle this holiness. Leave me to myself.” When they pulled in that catch of fish, awe overwhelmed Simon and everyone with him. It was the same with James and John, Zebedee’s sons, coworkers with Simon.

10-11 Jesus said to Simon, “There is nothing to fear. From now on you’ll be fishing for men and women.” They pulled their boats up on the beach, left them, nets and all, and followed him.

Simon’s boat, along with other fishermen’s boats, had been pulled in for the day. They were in the cleaning process, ready to go home and rest from a long day’s work. Jesus, Son of God, asks for a small favor after climbing into Simon’s boat. I want to use your boat as a pulpit so I can speak to the people. Push it out a little from shore. Simon seems to do this automatically. Was Simon listening to Jesus as He cleaned his nets and tools? Did He hear the teachings from Him? He had not caught “even a minnow” all night. He was probably exhausted, and yet, he instinctively obeys the Master Teacher by pushing his boat, the tool of his trade, out a little from the shore, so Jesus could speak to the crowd.

This small act of kindness (Simon could have said, no.) led to a miraculous, loving act of God. Go back out there, into deeper waters. I am about to bless your socks off! Simon whines because of his weariness and frustration of not catching anything the night before but does it anyway. (Have we ever been at this place in life?) And then God acts in miraculous ways, blessing them with more fish than they need! Peter falls down, knee deep in a mess of fish, perhaps ashamed of his lack of faith and humbled by Who was before Him. He believed. He repented. He was overwhelmed by the gracious, giving Son of God who was standing before him.

The whole family was provided for with this catch of fish. Now the Son of God, Jesus Christ, invites whiny, impetuous Simon, who obeyed with one small act of kindness, to follow Him on His journey to seek and to save lost people, to “fish” for men and women.

Yes, you can never out give God. You can never go where God is not already there. God is God and we are not. His giving overwhelms us as much as it did Simon, (later Peter)! Our small habitual acts of kindnesses only come second nature, without thinking, when our lives totally belong to Him. Our obedient ten percent is very small compared to giving Him back our entire lives. ALL of it belongs to Him. Know that. Live obediently and expectantly…for God, with God. Enjoy His peace. May it be well with your soul.

Dear Heavenly Father,
I Offer My Life
All that I am, all that I have
I lay them down before You, oh Lord
All my regrets, all my acclaims
The joy and the pain, I’m making them Yours

Lord, I offer my life to You
Everything I’ve been through, use it for Your glory
Lord I offer my days to You
Lifting my praise to You as a pleasing sacrifice
Lord I offer You my life

Things in the past, things yet unseen
Wishes and dreams that are yet to come true
All of my heart, all of my praise
My heart and my hands are lifted to You

Lord, I offer my life to You
Everything I’ve been through, use it for Your glory
Lord I offer my days to You
Lifting my praise to You as a pleasing sacrifice
Lord I offer You my life

What can we give that You have not given?
And what do we have that is not already Yours?
All we possess are these lives we’re living
That’s what we give to You, Lord

Lord, I offer my life to You
Everything I’ve been through, use it for Your glory
Lord I offer my days to You
Lifting my praise to You as a pleasing sacrifice
Lord I offer You my life

Lord, I offer my life to You
Everything I’ve been through, use it for Your glory
Lord I offer my days to You
Lifting my praise to You as a pleasing sacrifice
Lord I offer You my life
Lord I offer You my life
Songwriters: CLONINGER, CLAIRE D./MOEN, DON
I Offer My Life lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

In Jesus Name, Amen