Read | Luke 5:1-11
No one could have been more caught off guard by the Master’s command than Peter. After toiling all night, he and the other fishermen had absolutely nothing to show for their efforts. They were weary and discouraged; the last thing they wanted to do was cast off on another futile attempt to catch a few meager fish. What could Jesus be thinking? What purpose could there be in His instruction to set out again to go fishing?
A short time later, as the bulging nets were hauled to shore, these men undoubtedly began to understand an eternal principle that many people have yet to realize: God will never instruct us to do anything unless He has a specific, sovereign purpose for it (Jer. 29:11). Jesus’ command must have seemed unnecessary, if not irrational. After all, these men were professionals. They knew how to catch fish. What they had yet to learn was that apart from the supernatural involvement of almighty God, every bit of self-effort is in vain.
Peter and his crew could never have imagined what kind of reward was in store for their obedience. The thing they sought and desired most of all was the very thing God gave: nets overflowing with fish. The difference was that the second fishing expedition was done God’s way and in God’s time.
Is there an issue of disobedience in your life? What step of obedience has God asked you to take? Trust His purpose and plan. You’ll never know the reward until you’re willing to take the risk—and the greater the risk, the greater the reward.
