What would it take for you to really trust and believe Jesus?
That’s the main question I believe the Holy Spirit is asking me today as I start a new adventure in ministry. What will it take for me to really trust and believe Jesus? Maybe He’s asking you the same thing.
I mean, there are so many worldly factors against me… I am 58 years old – I’m not old but this isn’t necessarily a time for someone my age to start a new career (though I don’t know what age is). Another factor is, I need to raise my own financial support – not necessarily something that most people want to do, either from my standpoint or from others. They might believe in what you’re doing, but aren’t going to put their hard-earned money towards it, even if is sounds righteous. But, I’m all in. I’m going to trust and believe like never before. If you’re there today, I pray you’ll do the same. Here’s why…
One day Jesus was teaching down at the beach. The crowd kept getting larger and pushing Jesus towards the shoreline, so Jesus noticing that there were a couple of boats right there, got into one of them and asked the owner to push off from shore. The boat owner was Simon Peter. While Peter rowed them away from the shore Jesus kept teaching the people.
When Jesus was finished teaching, He wanted to prove a point, so ask the boat owner to row his boat to the deep water and let down his net to catch some fish. Peter told him that they had been working all night long and didn’t catch a thing. In other words, they were tired, worn out, frustrated, because they had been to doing their best to make a living, but they had nothing to show for it. But here’s what Peter says…
But if you tell me to, I will let the nets down.
Luke 5:5
I hope you know the rest of the story. They dropped their nets and caught so many fish that their nets started to rip. So they called the other boat, the other one on shore, out to them and they actually filled both boats with so many fish that “they both began to sink.”
I don’t know what you’re facing today, but if Jesus asked you to “let down your nets” would you do it? Would you trust Him and believe Him even if you had worked all night long and you caught nothing? Even if it seemed contrary to everything you knew, would do it?
Here’s my word of encouragement for you today: Trust and believe! When Jesus tells you to lower your nets, don’t give Him every excuse why it won’t work, just do it. Don’t tell me your reasons why it’s not possible, just willingly obey. I’m expecting my nets to be filled – what about you?
Father,
Tell me to lower my nets. In Jesus name I ask this, Amen.
Rev. Dr. MM Marxhausen
Mark was Spiritual Director for VdC from 2016 to 2019. He's written many of the devotions, especially the Devote and Affirm series, found on this website.
