Dr. Charles Stanley
Read | Luke 5:1-11
An ordinary fisherman became one of the chief builders of the early church because he was obedient. Simon Peter made a lifelong commitment to follow Jesus Christ and received many blessings as a result.
After an unsuccessful night at sea, Peter was weary and discouraged. Yet when Jesus asked to borrow his boat, he agreed. And when the carpenter suggested the fisherman put out nets for a catch, Peter did so against his better judgment. His obedience led to huge financial gain, and even better, he saw Jesus for who He was—the Lord.
Just as his nets expanded with the overflowing catch, Peter’s faith also grew large that day. He was so confident of Jesus’ sovereignty that he laid down the tools of his trade and became a “fisher of men” (vv. 10-11). And rewards continued to come his way: as Christ’s disciple, Peter spent time with the Lord and performed miracles in His name (Acts 9:33-42).
Obedience was Peter’s lifestyle—when the Lord told him to do something, he didn’t delay (Matt. 16:15-17). He understood who Jesus was and helped establish the church on the rock-solid foundation of Christ’s Messiahship. Peter preached at Pentecost (Acts 2:14-36), opened Christianity to Gentiles (11:1-18), and wrote two biblical epistles—all of which are additional rewards for his faithfulness.
Believers sometimes shy away from following Jesus wholeheartedly, wondering, How can He use someone so average? Peter’s life proves that the Lord equips those He calls. And when an ordinary believer faithfully obeys, God rewards.
