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When he had finished speaking, [Jesus] said to Simon,\xa0\u201cPut out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.\u201d (Luke 5:4)

\u201cPut out into deep water,\u201d Jesus instructed Peter.\xa0 Jesus wants us to go deeper with Him.\xa0 How can we go deeper with Jesus?\xa0 I want to suggest a few ways today.

Go deep into the Word of God.\xa0 This is the roadmap for life that God has given to us. Other Christian traditions put much less emphasis on Scripture than we do in the Reformed Church.\xa0 I believe that emphasis on Scripture is something that we Reformed folks do well. We are all of us in many different seasons of life and so digging into the Word may look different for each one of us.\xa0 But it is our lifeline.\xa0 When you are in despair or when you are bursting with joy, turn to the Word of God, when you are starting your day and when you are ending it turn to the Word of God. \u201cThese commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.\xa0Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up\u201d\xa0(Deuteronomy 6:6-7).

It is not only to be read after meals or as a part of a devotional, but the Word of God is meant to be chewed on, savoured, swallowed, and digested until it becomes a part of who we are.\xa0 Jesus, the Word of God wants to speak to us through the written Word.\xa0 When we read the Bible we are getting a glimpse into the very heart of God.\xa0 His faithfulness, love, patience, kindness for His beloved children.

Get personal with God. When Jesus asked Peter to push the boat out a little way from shore so that He could preach from it without being crushed by the crowds, that was impersonal.\xa0 But when Jesus instructed Peter to \u201cput out into deep water,\u201d suddenly the impersonal became personal.\xa0 Jesus wanted Peter to become bodily involved.\xa0 God is a personal God.\xa0 He doesn\u2019t just sit back waiting for us to make the first move, like in a game of chess.\xa0 He pursues us, nudges us, instructs us, and personally invites us to partner with Him in His work in the Church and in the world.

Pray. Prayer is not just an act of thanks or petition. \xa0Prayer is a relationship between us and our God.\xa0 When Jesus died, the curtain to the Holy of Holies was torn in two, and Jesus opened the way for us to come directly to God through Him.\xa0 How marvelous!\xa0 But we often still treat God like a vending machine in prayer.\xa0 We consider prayer our duty, our obligation, a need.\xa0 But Jesus went often to solitary places to pray.\xa0 It was a time for Him to commune with His Father, to recharge so He could continue to minister to the many crowds that pressed for His attention every day.\xa0 Prayer was how Jesus filled His depleted bucket.\xa0 And He learned from His Father through prayer throughout His days as well. The Holy Spirit is with us always and everywhere.\xa0 There is nowhere that we can go where He is not. That means that He is always available for us to talk to about anything and everything whether 2pm or 2am.

Listen for what God is saying to you.\xa0 Jesus was preaching from the fishing boat when He instructed Peter to put out into deep water.\xa0 Peter, the other fishermen and the crowds on shore were all listening to Him.\xa0 Then Jesus finished speaking to the crowds and turned to Peter to speak to him directly.\xa0 Jesus teaches us corporately and individually.\xa0 In this passage He speaks to Peter one on one.\xa0 Is there a thought, attitude, situation or circumstance that the Holy Spirit has been impressing on your heart lately?\xa0

Obey what God says.\xa0 It\u2019s not always easy to know what the Holy Spirit is speaking to our hearts, but we can discern a thought, attitude or action by turning to the Bible.\xa0 It has instructions for the way that God wants us to live. \u201cAll Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and instruction in righteousness.\u201d (2 Tim 3:16) Are you listening to what God is saying to you, and what are you doing about it? Jesus wants us to seek His heart, to do it daily.