Digging Deeper: Surrender Your Story

So blessed they almost sank. That is what happened when Simon listened to what Jesus was asking him to do. But before the blessing, Simon tells Jesus, and reminds Him, that the night before they had done the same thing. They worked hard and saw no result. They chased after what they were supposed to do and caught nothing, gained nothing.

Can you imagine standing before Jesus and saying, I hear what You are telling me to do, but have You forgotten that this has not worked? I have tried this. Were You not with me through that last journey? It did not work. I thought You knew that.

Here, Simon admits doubt, but then does exactly what Jesus asks of him. The blessing and life change on the other side of his yes to Jesus were enough to propel him toward chasing his purpose.

Heart:
What times in your life, in your story, have you felt the need to remind God that something did not work out the way you thought it would? In what chapter of your life have you struggled with doubt? In those same stories, how did God change your circumstances for good? How did God right those wrongs? How did you come out on the other side of that situation more blessed than when you went into it?

Soul:
Think about a time in your life when you felt the most blessed, the most loved, the most cared for by God. What led you to that moment? Was there a vivid picture, a moment like a boat overflowing with fish? What was your full boat? How has God used that moment as a testimony, as a moment of truth to show others, and you, who He really is and how much He loves you?

Think about the looks on the faces of the partners who showed up, who had watched Simon fish the night before and catch nothing, walking away empty-handed. Then imagine the looks on their faces, and their belief in God, after seeing what Jesus did for him. What a story, a testimony to Simon’s faith.

Strength:
The kind of faith Simon shows here is faithful obedience, choosing to try again when God says to, even if it has not worked out in your favor before. How close have you been to an answered prayer but fell short because you were weary? What step of obedience is God laying on your heart today? What is one thing you have been struggling with that you could get in the boat for today? I pray that you would take hold of that and make active steps toward it.

Let your faith, your steps into the boat, be visual stories that tell of God’s faithfulness.