If you are movie buff, you know which movie this line belongs to, "You’re gonna need a bigger boat." When a great white was recently spotted on the Massachusetts coast line, this famous quote was drawn in the sand. In case you still don’t know, this line is from the movie ‘Jaws’. However, when I hear this quote, I think of another sea … in another time and place. It reminds me of Peter.

All night he and his brother, Andrew, had been out on the Sea of Galilee without anything to show for it. Peter was weary, defeated and worried. How would he feed his family? Then Jesus got into the boat. He didn’t pick the largest or fastest boat; Jesus chose the boat that belonged to a man who would become Jesus’ disciple.

Peter must have wondered at the audacity of this man who walked on board, sat down, and said

"Launch this boat into the deep and let’s catch some fish." As tired as Peter must have been, he simply answered, "Master, we have been here all night and haven’t caught a thing. But since you say so, we’ll go and see what happens."

What happened? When Peter obeyed Jesus, they caught more fish than the nets could hold. So heavy was the catch that the nets were breaking trying to hold so many fish! Peter had to call out to other boats to come help them with the bounteous haul of fish. The thought must have crossed Peter’s mind that he was surely going to need a bigger boat. He was so right. (Matt 4:18-20, Mark 1:16-18; Luke 5:1-11)

When we obey God in our day-to-day life, no matter how large or small the commandment, we are blessed in ways we never dreamed possible. If we were to look back on all the blessings He has mercifully granted, we, too, would realize we need a bigger ‘boat’ to hold all the wondrous things God has done for us. Too often we see the sharks in life, the threatening evil on the horizon or ponder on the negative things of this world. While we see them we need to remember, "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). When the sharks of life seem larger than we can handle, remember we already anchored in a bigger boat – that of Jesus Christ.