Jesus said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.

Luke 5:4-6 (NKJV)

 

Do you ever feel like you need a lot of faith to obey God?

You don't always have to start with faith. Simply learn to obey and faith will follow. The story of Peter catching a miraculous quantity of fish is a good illustration of this truth. After a whole night of fishing, Peter came up empty-handed. Jesus did not tell him that he needed great faith to receive a great catch. Jesus simply told him to cast his nets into deep waters, but Peter was hesitant to do so because what Jesus was asking of him made no sense in the natural world. Peter knew from his fishing experience that the best time to capture fish in deep waters with nets was at night.

Perhaps Peter chose to meet Jesus halfway in order to amuse Him. Instead of casting all his nets, as Jesus ordered, he just tossed one. Peter then caught so many fish that the weight of the catch caused his boat to sink. He repented and fell at Jesus' feet at that precise moment and became a lifetime follower.

Obedience builds faith.

When God is concerned, there is no such thing as a bad time to obey Him. Even though everything around you seems to make no sense, the best time to obey God is right now. When Moses lifted his staff in obedience to God, the waters of the Red Sea parted. Gideon obeyed God and defeated 120,000 Midianites with a force of only three hundred men. Jesus followed God, and we were all made righteous as a result of His one act of perfect obedience on the cross.

If we find it difficult to obey God, it is because we are still relying on our own effort rather than receiving God's abundant love poured out for us. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the grace of obedience (like that of Christ) so that you may constantly walk in the will of the Father. This is the kind of prayer that God will undoubtedly answer.