God’s word is the only valid basis of faith. No one can exercise faith, who does not stand squarely on the word of God as the foundation of his belief and expectation. Jesus spoke to Peter, after a particularly trying time of failure at fishing, saying, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” (Lk 5:4). Peter’s initial response to Jesus indicates that he had lost hope of finding any fish in that water that day: “But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing…” (Lk 5:5). Peter’s attitude was understandable. He and his equally experienced colleagues had worked diligently nightlong (when it is usually best to fish), and caught nothing.
Frustration and disillusionment naturally set in after such an experience. You have probably had a similar experience in which your best efforts did not yield the anticipated result. I believe expectations were high for Peter and his team when they embarked on the fishing exercise. This is usually the case at the beginning of an enterprise. But once things do not go as expected, the human emotions register failure and feelings of dismay. However, your freedom and prosperity in Christ will never be yours in experience, until you are willing to take God at His word, regardless of how you feel.
It is usually at this juncture that many children of God miss it. Your emotions or feelings were never intended to lead you, but to follow the direction of the Holy Spirit through your recreated human spirit. It was wise that Jesus did not command Peter to launch out into the deep for a catch immediately He got there. Peter most likely would not have been in the right frame of mind to exercise faith. Your thoughts can keep you from experiencing what God has planned for you. Though God wants you to have something, if your mindset contradicts it, you may never have it. Sometimes we think it is all up to God what we receive from Him in this life. However, that is a misconception of how our relationship with God works. In as much as God has provided us with all that we need in Christ, we need to comply with His principles to receive them. So it is not all up to God. With this understanding, Jesus let Peter listen to God’s word first. Anointed preaching or teaching of God’s word prepares a person to receive His instructions.
Consequently, though the last thing Peter felt like doing, under the circumstance, was to renew his efforts at fishing in the same water, he let his faith in Jesus and His word prevail: “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.”” (Lk 5:5). NEVERTHELESS is a conjunctive in English grammar that means: “in spite of what preceeded.” Peter indicated that in spite of what he had experienced previously, he would do just as Jesus had instructed, because he recognised the words of Jesus as the words of God. Note, however, that Peter did not deny the reality of his failure and frustration, he just did not let it have the final say. Faith does not deny the reality of the facts, as evidenced by the testimony of the senses, it just does not accept it as final. Sometimes, people make the mistake of thinking that if they deny the existence of some unpleasant facts long enough, they will go away. That is not what the Bible teaches. To exercise faith is simply to accept God’s word as the unchanging reality of your life. Shalom.
