July 31 Daily Devotional

Luke 4 and 6

After the fanatic men of Nazareth tried to kill Jesus, he spent much of his time in Capernaum, an important city on the northwest shore of the sea of Galilee. And he taught in the synagogues, and the people were astonished at his teaching; for his word was with authority. At one time Jesus was standing at the seashore and the multitude of the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God. And he saw two boats standing at the shore; but the fishermen had gone out and were washing their nets. And he entered into one of the boats belonging to Simon, and asked him to put it out a little from the land. After that he sat down and taught the people out of the boat.

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.” Simon answering said, “Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had done this, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake, and they beckoned unto their partners which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.”

“When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of fishes which they had taken.” With him were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners of Simon. “And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.” He understood what the Master meant to say. He and his partners brought their boats to land. They left all and followed Jesus.

And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, where no one would be near to disturb him. There he prayed, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: And of them he chose twelve, whom also he called apostles. They should be with him for special instruction, and after his departure they should go out to proclaim the message of salvation from city to city, from country to country, from nation to nation. The twelve apostles were: (1) Simon Peter, (2) Andrew, (3) James, (4) John, (5) Philip, (6) Bartholemew, (7) Matthew, (8) Thomas, (9) James, the son of Alphaeus, (10) Simon called Zelotes, (11) Judas, son of James, and (12) Judas Iscariot.