Put Out into the Deep Water

“When He had finished speaking, he (Jesus) said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”  Luke 5:4

I don’t know about you, but I don’t go into the deep water at an outdoor venue like I use to do.  I would do so in a pool probably because I can quickly get to the safety of the side.

But when we talk about our writing, there is new meaning to putting out into deep water.

Jesus knew that, after seeing the disciples' frustration at not catching fish where they were, He needed to give them hope for a large haul, thereby stopping what was not working and doing what would.  But the one piece of meaning we should not miss is that Jesus tells Simon to put out into the “deep” water. 

What does that mean?  For those fishing it meant that Jesus knew where the fish were. As writers we know that when we are deeply committed to what we are doing, we become insistent on getting the job done—on completing the mission.  If we are to complete our writing, we must be fully committed to whatever it takes to do --writing, editing, publishing, and marketing.

If Simon Peter had told Jesus, “I'm sorry, Lord, but I am finished fishing. I am going home,” he would have missed his mission.  With our writing, the “catch" will come in unexpected writing ways.

Let’s keep putting out into the deep water of a writer’s work. The catch will be worth the work and the wait.

Lord, I desire to put out into the deep water and to reach out to others in the way You  call me. 

Barbara Baranowski