Point of Inspiration: Devotionals for Private and Corporate Worship
Robert D. Pace
In Luke 5, the Apostles spent the night fishing but without any success. The next morning they began washing the nets intending to go home, eat breakfast, and rest. But before packing their nets Jesus announced He was ready to fish. Is this not typical of our Lord? Disappointment urges us to pack up and go home, but that’s when the Lord says, “Launch out into deep waters”! And even when commonsense disagrees, it’s time to obey! Fortunately, the Apostles obeyed the Lord’s command and they hauled in a boat-sinking load of fish!
Now don’t misunderstand the moral of this story. Obeying Christ’s commands does not always guarantee an instant miracle of Biblical proportions. The moral is found in 1 Corinthians 15:58 where the Apostle says, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” What a promise! When Christians obey the Lord His unwavering pledge is, “your labor in the Lord will not be in vain.” Your compliance with God’s command causes him to script an unerring record of your obedience that cannot be overlooked. What this means is, at the Lord’s sovereign, discretionary point, He will indeed supply his reward!
But there is another interesting aspect of this catch of fish. Peter, Andrew, James, and John were Master fishermen–expert anglers! Yet, despite their expertise, they came up empty-handed after a full night of fishing. The Apostles show us that proficiency has its limits and skill meets its match but when Christ appears, “All things are possible”!
Have you fished all night with nothing to show for it? There’s no need to fear, Christ is nearby, and as you obey Him “your labor in the Lord will not be in vain.” Even now, you might sense “the Lord’s sovereign, discretionary point” is nigh at hand!