Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him. (Prov. 3:5–6)
IF ANYONE COULD HAVE LEANED on his own understanding, it would have been Simon Peter. A fisherman by trade, he was familiar with optimal conditions for drawing in a profitable haul. Simon and his companions had struggled unsuccessfully throughout the night to fill their nets. Clearly this was not a good time to catch fish. When Jesus instructed Simon to let down the nets out in the deep water, it didn’t make sense. Nonetheless, he replied: “But because you say so, I will let down the nets” (Luke 5:5).
As the scene unfolds, we see the fishermen struggling again—not with empty nets and discouragement, but with breaking nets and two boats sinking under the weight of the catch. That was a moment of astonishment and surrender for Simon. That’s when Jesus laid out His plan for Simon’s life, which later became a reality: “From now on you will catch men” (Luke 5:10).
Like Simon, we may face situations when everything within us screams for us to do what we think is best. God’s instructions don’t make sense. But He gives us those opportunities to trust Him completely and submit wholly to His plan. He wants us to trust Him enough to say, “Because You say so, I will . . .” Those are the times He wants to use us for His glory. Isn’t that what we long for?
Remember that God deserves our total trust and complete submission, even when it doesn’t make sense.
Kathern Nemec enjoys digging into God’s Word and loves to encourage others with the truth she finds in it.
