But Master...

“‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch’… ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’ ‘…from now on you will catch men.’” Luke 5:4, 5, 10.

When my children were small there were many challenging days as I stayed home with them for twelve years. At the time, there was nothing glamorous in raising children as one day fades into the next without fanfare or appreciation. One day it was unusually challenging at which point I looked at my children and said I was going to my room and that my day was done. It was only 3:15 in the afternoon but exhaustion knows no time. Obviously, I had to reappear in 30 minutes or so and be mommy again for another 4 hours.

Poor Peter had to be gritting his teeth while explaining this to Jesus. He had just come in from a night of nothing. He had gone out the evening before with a plan, a hope and an expectation. Frustrated and exhausted his night had obviously been in vain…no profit…no yield…no gain. All he wanted to do was clean the boat and hang the nets. But the Lord had other plans for him and the plans involved his obedience at the most difficult time…he was tired, exhausted and discouraged. Sound familiar?

God will require things of us when we have nothing more to give. We are much more willing to surrender and depend on Him for everything when we are at our lowest. When we are obedient, God will bless our nets like He did Peter with such an abundance for which we never could have dreamed. Peter’s yield was so great that it required others to help pull in the net. ‘Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.’ Eph. 3:20.

When God blesses us He does not intend for us to hold tightly to the blessings. Blessings from God are meant to go beyond us. Once Peter was blessed God exhorted him to go and bless others by sharing the gift of salvation. He was to catch men instead of fish with every skill God had given him.

God rewarded Peter on one of the lowest mornings of his life. Because of his obedience generations have been blessed by this little fisherman who cast his net one more time. Don’t give up – the yield will be more than you can pull in.