There’s a crowd around Jesus, pressing in on Him. Does He pray and ask the Father what to do, or does the Father tell Him to get into a certain boat, or does the Holy Spirit make the idea dawn on Him that He could get into a boat and He happens to get into the “right” one? I don’t know how God was leading Jesus in such things. I think a lot of the time Jesus was just living and trusting that His Father was leading and guiding Him continually, and He could just know “this is the way” and walk in it.

However it happens, Jesus gets into Simon’s boat unknowingly. I don’t think His Father laid out the plan: “This is the boat of the man that’s going to be the head of the church, and you are going to invite him into the boat, and in return for using his boat, you’ll show him where to fish and he’ll get a boatload. Then you’ll call him to be your disciple.”

I don’t think that’s how it went. I think Jesus was fully man. I think He had a vibrant prayer life where He called on His Father and His Father answered. I think He asked questions and had things explained to Him. I think He knew future events, like His death and resurrection because the Father told Him, not because He knew all things while He was on earth. He was fully human. We have things revealed to us, so did Jesus.

Peter’s response to the boatload of fish, which he only got after choosing to obey instead of relying on human wisdom, was to want to get away from Jesus. If he had been after money, he would have wanted Jesus around. That’s not what’s on his heart. He calls out his confession. “I’m a sinful man.”

Recognizing who God is and who you are is essential if you are going to be saved. Making a “decision” for Christ isn’t what’s called for. We need to be regenerated, given new life. It starts with conviction, confession, and repentance.

We must know we are a sinner. We confess it, admit it, acknowledge it, bring it into the light instead of trying to cover it up like Adam and Eve hiding in the garden. Then we want it gone. We want Jesus instead. He is the Way. We want His Way, not ours. We give Him our lives.

In America, “praying the prayer of salvation” usually starts with asking forgiveness. The Bible doesn’t teach us to ask forgiveness. You won’t find that in ANY story of people coming to Christ. We confess. He forgives. That’s what the Bible teaches.

Peter’s confession was all it took. It was a contrite heart. God draws near to such a one. From then on, Peter was catching men.