Try Again
When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon [Peter], “Put out into the deep water and lower your nets for a catch [of fish].” 5 Simon replied, “Master, we worked hard all night [to the point of exhaustion] and caught nothing [in our nets], but at Your word I will [do as you say and] lower the nets [again].” 6 When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets were [at the point of] breaking; 7 so they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats [with fish], so that they began to sink.
Luke 5: 4-7 amp
While Simon, Peter and His brother Andrew were at sea, doing what they normally do, their life was interrupted. They were battling with their day’s job because they found it difficult to catch any fish that day. They had given up and were getting prepared to leave. Out of the blue, here comes Jesus of Nazareth, asking them to cast their nets on the other side. What I love about this story is that though the men were exhausted from their long toil in the night, when Jesus told them to cast their nets again on the other side, they did.
That’s sort of how it is with us too. There are things, jobs, dreams or ideas etc… that we in the past pursued but they didn’t work out because they could have been done without Jesus or just outside of His perfect timing. One thing we need to always remember and hold dear to our heart is; God knows best. Remember, He knows the plans and thoughts He has for you and these plans will bring you peace, give you well-being and give you a future and a hope. When we pursue things outside of God’s timing and/or without His consent, we often experience some backlash. The results are in the form of failure and disappointment. Sometimes, it’s not that this thing shouldn’t be pursued, it’s just that, it’s not the right time. An amazing thing done outside of the perfect timeframe will result in failure. It’s funny how this can be so, but it is true.
It could also be that God wants to show you how successful you will become when you do it His way and not the way of the world. When we go back to the story of Simon Peter, it stated that they worked all night and by this time in the morning were exhausted. They were literally preparing their nets to head home and call it a day, when Jesus asked them to do it one more time. With a bit of hesitancy, they still went ahead with the instruction just because Jesus said so. It wasn’t because they had faith like a lion but just because Jesus said so. To their amazement, something they had never before experienced happened. Their nets were so loaded with fish they started to break and needed the assistance of their friends. There was so much fish that both fishing boats were sinking.
God may be speaking to you about launching out into the deep again. I understand how frustrating this might feel because you have tried in the past and you worked on this thing all night (over a long season). You put your best foot forward and nothing came out of it. However, what if this time it will work? What if God who is all knowing wants you to take this step one more time because it is going to be successful this time around. I often say to myself, “you never know unless you try”. Funny thing about this call is that you don’t even need to have any form of master faith. The guys at the sea didn’t have that either, they only operated at the voice of Jesus. Just because He said it, they did it. We need to learn to operate like that also. Just because Jesus whispers to us, try again, we need to run with it. That in itself is an act of faith because Faith without Works is dead.
No matter how exhausted you may be feeling right now, if God is speaking to you to try again, then go ahead and just do it. Just do it one more time because this time it’s going to work out. This time, it’s going to be successful. This time, because God is the CEO of it and your life, He will not allow you to stumble. This time, because He is involved with every detail that concerns you, you will be successful. This time, because you invited him in and entertained His instructions, when you do just what He says, it will work out. He is saying to you “put out into the deep water and lower your nets for a catch…”. That’s a very specific instruction he gave the fishermen, and today, He is giving you specific instructions which will fuel your success, so pay attention and please listen to His voice. If He didn’t think it was time, He wouldn’t tell you to launch out now. If He didn’t believe that you would be successful this time, He wouldn’t encourage you to make this big move that may even seem daunting. However daunting or frustrating it may feel, do it just because He said it and remember He is right there with you just as He was with the disciples.
I remember back in July 2021, while I was having some personal worship time with Abba, my phone lighted up. I thought it was my son who was playing with the phone but it wasn’t. Funny thing is my phone does not normally light up when it receives a notification. What intrigued me to really pick up the phone was a post of interest ( I think it was Real Housewives of Atlanta, lol) nonetheless I went strolling a little bit and then right in front of me was an advertisement for a job. (It’s funny how He uses certain things of interest to catch our attention. Perhaps, if it was a post I wasn’t interested in I would have just dismissed it.) By this time it had been about five (5) months since I resigned from my previous job because I was led to do this by the Holy Spirit. He was calling me out into the deep. In obedience, I resigned and literally decided to just trust Him because I believed what He told me. When I saw this new job advertisement I was a bit hesitant, kind of like the fishermen near the lake of Gennesaret. I hesitated and really wanted to inquire from the Lord if this was His will for me. It did not apply for the position immediately because I just wanted to sit on it a bit and near the closing date I sent in my application. That’s why I say I understand how you may feel about doing it one more time because before this position there were other jobs I applied for but they didn’t work out. I applied for online jobs as well as on land jobs. When it isn’t God’s perfect plan and timing for your life, it will not work. I can guarantee you though, that when it is, nothing can prevent you from catching so many fish that break your nets. I never in my life felt so convicted to prepare well for any interview, and the interviewers were pleased with my interview. Then I waited for another five (5) months before I got the job offer. To be honest I thought I was not chosen and decided to wait on God for His next instruction. This job far outweighs my expectations and I am blessed to be a part of their team. When I didn’t feel like applying, I felt in my spirit to try again and I did.
I want to encourage you to “try again” because Abba said so. Just because He said it, just do it. Sometimes the blessings for our life don’t come in the package we expect and if we do not move at His voice we may just miss the breakthrough we were praying for, for years or months. Do not give up just yet, wait on the Lord and then act when He says to you “Put out into the deep water…” even if you are at the point of exhaustion. Just do it because He said so.
Shalom
