A Road to Growth

First comes the command to obedience. Simon and the guys had just fished all night and caught nothing. They had put away their nets, cleaned up, and besides being frustrated, they were obviously tired; after all, they had been up all night. These guys were fishermen. They had just gotten skunked, their pride was obviously hurt, and knowing all of this, Jesus asked them to go fishing one more time. Why? Because He knew what lay beneath the surface—not the catch, mind you, but the character of the men. These were hardened men who knew how to work. They knew things always didn't go their way. They were resourceful men; men who, when faced with crisis, would ultimately stand and work through the trials as they had no doubt done before. They had faced many storms and raging seas. All Jesus wanted from them was obedience, for that was all they needed to overcome for the future. Jesus knew if they would obey Him, they would not only see the harvest, but would be dedicated and faithful to Him to the very end (at least to the degree any mortal man could be). Second is the excuse phase. “But Lord, we have fished all night and caught nothing.” Can’t you just hear the whining in Simon Peter’s voice—‘aw, do I have to?’ You know, we’ve all heard it. Most of us have said it. Even though we know we are going to do what’s asked, it seems that we somehow want everyone to understand just how hard this is going to be for us to sacrifice. As if we’re the only ones who have busy lives and work hard. Jesus is not interested in our excuses anymore than anyone else is. I can remember one of the first times I was truly offended by my mother. I was making an excuse about why I had not done what I was asked, when mom had the gall to interrupt my well-thought-out excuse with these words: “Excuses only satisfy the people who make them. Get back to work!” Those words have rung in my head and stung me on many occasions. Why? Because they are true. God is not interested in excuses nor does He reward them. What He wants and what He blesses is obedience, even and especially when we don’t know the outcome. So even though we all have great ones and love to share, let’s avoid them, for this phase is better skipped than experienced. Third, we have the “Okay, if you say so.” Somehow, I sense that Simon is still not very excited about going fishing again. I hear the voice of Eor (Pooh bear’s donkey friend), a kind of ‘well, if I have to, but don’t expect anything’ response. Yet Simon Peter took the chance and choose to obey. You will notice he addressed Jesus as “Master.” He had the right order, excuses or not. Even though he was tired and had every reason not to, Simon Peter did what was asked by his Master. Notice he also didn’t base his decision on what others would say or do. The verse says, “at Your word I will let down the net.” In this text, Simon Peter didn’t look for anyone else’s approval or assistance. He didn’t bring it up for debate or seek a forum. He knew the Master had commanded him, and for that reason alone he agreed to obey. All too often we want to discuss things until we have all of the facts, when what God says is ‘pray and obey!’ Fourth comes the catch. Imagine the excitement among the local fishermen as Simon Peter and his friends are calling out for help. They have so many fish in their nets they need a second boat. Was this the blessing God had for Simon Peter’s obedience? I would say no. This was just Jesus’ way of getting their attention. The true blessing and lesson came with the realization of who this man Jesus was and the humility of being in His presence. We don’t know exactly why Simon Peter fell down and acknowledged his sinful nature: maybe because of his former attitude and surely because of whom Jesus was, or possibly both. Either way, he got it, and because he did, he could move on to the greater work. We see that Simon Peter’s obedience led to a great blessing not just for him but also for those around him. If we didn’t know the entire story, we might be content to end here, and while this was a great catch, it was only the beginning. What we catch in the world is only to be used to further our catch for the kingdom. We must be able to walk away from the worldly harvest in order to be free to catch the heavenly harvest. Simon Peter, James, and John didn’t stay to profit from the catch. They saw the big picture and recognized a move of God. By doing so, they didn’t miss out on what God was going to do. Little did they know that in a few short years He would use them to change the world. If we are willing to put our own shortsighted agendas aside, be faithful to obey, avoid making excuses, and trust God and those He has anointed to lead us, we too will see a great harvest. When preparing for growth, God will use people who have been hardened, tested, and are not afraid of a challenge. They must be willing to swallow their pride, be able to persevere, and be willing to obey without knowing all of the facts. God is looking for a willing heart. In 1 Samuel 15:22 we are told “to obey is better than sacrifice.” Father, help me not to forget that pain of sacrifice is quickly overcome by the joy of new beginnings. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen. “Without some sacrifice little can be accomplished.”