Growing Faith Part 3 of 16

GROWING FAITH Part 3 of 16
TRUST
Luke 5:1-11
Beginning in Verse 4: “When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’”

Simon, (whom we know as Peter), must have shaken his head and could have thought, The optimum fishing time has passed; what does Jesus know about fishing? Instead he said out loud, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because You say so, I will let down the nets.” He was going to do what Jesus told him, despite thinking that it was a waste of time.

Why is it so hard to trust? When we’ve learned, (often the hard way), how to do something the best way, someone butting into our business is not welcome. How many times do you say, “Leave me alone, I know what I’m doing!” But Jesus does this all the time. We may think we know what’s best, but…

We hesitate trusting the Lord because our knowledge or experience contradicts His plan. All of Peter’s expertise signified that fishing at such an hour would be counter-productive. He swallowed his pride and agreed to do what Jesus said to do. Without complaint. Would you have done that?

Sometimes God challenges believers to do something that seems weird. At such times, we often rely on our own good judgment to decide whether or not to trust Him. God’s way often seems unreasonable to us, running against human wisdom. But when we courageously act on His lead, we always find success.

The principle of tithing—giving God one tenth of our income—seems foolish to some. Why does God need MY money? But when we obey Him, the remaining ninety percent stretches farther than our one hundred percent would have. Then, God blesses us because we obeyed His command.

Listening to other’s opinions is often a stumbling block to steadfast faith. There is a time when we should seek Godly counsel, but when the Lord makes His will clear, it’s time to act. Asking a few friends what they think won’t change God’s mind. No opinion matters except that of Jehovah.

The reward for Peter’s trust and obedience was a net-breaking catch.

Take Home Nugget
What causes us to hesitate when asked to trust God? How could we trust anyone over our sovereign Creator? We can pray specifically to overcome this stumbling block so we can move courageously through His will and onto our reward.

“Holy Father, What You ask of me doesn’t make sense. Please take my hand and calm my fears that stand in the way of my trusting You. I want to follow Jesus in obedience and claim my reward of faith. Help me Jesus, AMEN”.

J.D. Griffith

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