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LUKE 11:28
The Lord’s simple requests often serve as stepping-stones to life’s most wonderful blessings. Simon Peter illustrates what can happen when we say yes to God.
One day a large crowd pressed around Jesus while He preached (see Luke 5:1-11). The Lord wanted to use Peter’s boat as a floating platform from which to address the multitude, so He asked the future apostle to push the vessel out a little way from shore (see v. 3)- not in itself a particularly remarkable request. Peter’s compliance paved the way for staggering blessings. From his example, we learn how essential it is to obey God in even the smallest matters.
The noisy crowd received the first blessing of Peter’s obedience; the people could now clearly hear Jesus’ words. At the conclusion of the lesson, the Lord said to Peter, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch” (v. 4)-a second opportunity to say yes or no. But this time, Peter must have felt tempted to decline.
After all, he had worked the entire night for a catch but had returned empty-handed. And now this young teacher – a carpenter, by the way, not a fisherman–was telling him to go fishing again?
But notice what happened as a result of Peter’s second act of obedience: on a day that he and his partners must have counted as a total loss, they pulled in not one, but two overflowing boatloads of fish (see v. 7). Saying yes to the Lord’s request resulted in a miracle that transformed the fisherman’s life.
1 Obeying God in small matters is an essential step to God’s greatest blessings.
Suppose Peter had said, “Look, I’m busy cleaning my nets right now. I can’t help you because I’m going fishing again tonight.” Or he could have said, “Why don’t you ask to use that other boat, over there?” or “I’ve already been fishing today; it would be a waste of time to go again.” If Peter had said anything other than yes, he would have missed the greatest fishing experience of his life. But because of Peter’s obedience, the Lord arranged a miracle that he would never forget.
Oftentimes, God’s greatest blessings come as a result of our willingness to do something that appears very insignificant. So ask yourself, “Has God been challenging me to do something seemingly unimportant that I have not yet made an effort to accomplish? Is there anything I have rationalized by saying, ‘It’s too difficult, I don’t want to, or ‘I have to pray about it first»
2 Our obedience always benefits others.
Think of how many people were blessed by Peter’s obedience. Not only could the crowd see the Lord and hear His lesson, but Jesus Himself also benefited: preaching from the boat enabled him to sit down in comfort while He spoke (see v. 3). Then, of course, Peter’s friends had a very profitable day – they took in two vessels so full of fish that both began to sink. More importantly, they had the opportunity to witness something supernatural.
God often rewards others in particular, those closest to us–as a result of our obedience. For example, no father can obey God without a blessing pouring into the lives of his wife and children. Likewise, a child’s obedience will bless his or her parents.
3 When we obey God, we will never be disappointed.
Peter no doubt assumed that Jesus’ fishing instructions would amount to a waste of time. But when he complied with the Lord’s simple request, the Lord brought about a miracle that gripped him with amazement. Jesus turned an empty boat into a full one.
We, like Peter, must recognize that obeying God is always the wisest course of action. He can also take our emptiness whether related to finances, relationships, or career–and change it into something splendid.
Perhaps you hesitate to obey because you fear the consequences. Remember that the same sovereign, omnipotent God who keeps your heart beating and the planets orbiting is more than able to handle the results of your obedience. I don’t mean that to obey will necessarily result in the outcome you desire, in fact, an intervening trial could well precede a blessing. But even when our expectations do not line up with God’s purposes, His ways never end up disappointing us. On the contrary, however He chooses to bless our obedience always proves most satisfying in the end.
Stanley, Charles F. The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Daily Bible. Thomas Nelson, 2007.
