Luke 5:5
“And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.”
The disciples had fished all night and caught nothing. They were back at shore cleaning their nets when Jesus walked by and told them to “Launch out into the deep” because they there was a great draught of fish they would catch. Peter, being a professional fisherman, told Jesus that they had fished all night and caught nothing. It was as if Peter was telling Jesus, “Leave the fishing to the professionals.”
Yet, Peter said they would go back out and let down a “net.” Why they only let down a net is up for discussion. It could be that they didn’t want to get the nets dirty again, and because they didn’t believe they would catch anything they would only bring one net. It could be that they just wanted to prove a point to Jesus, so they only brought one net. Whatever the reason, they went out and ended up catching so many fish that it almost sank both of their boats.
Have you served God and seemed to get no results? Certainly, many Christians can understand what Peter was feeling as they have served God and it seems as if their labors are not paying off. There are some lessons you can learn from this story that will help you as a Christian when you have toiled a long time and not seen any results.
First, don’t stop serving God. The disciples quit fishing when if they had gone longer, they may have caught the fish Jesus was talking about. Many Christians quit right before the blessing. One of the keys to success is longevity. When you look at those whom God has used greatly, you will see they kept on going when they wanted to quit. Certainly, it can seem useless to keep going, but you must realize that God will bless your efforts in His timing, and you must not quit.
Second, don’t stop attempting great things. Jesus told the disciples to launch out into the deep. You must never stop attempting great things for God. There is no doubt it may seem useless to do so, but you could miss the greatest miracle of your life if you stop attempting great things for God. If you haven’t seen God come through yet, keep on launching out into the deep.
Third, don’t cut back on your efforts because of a lack of results. The worst thing to do is to let down a “net” when you should be letting down the “nets.” I have found many Christians cut back on what they are doing for God when they seem to get no results. Cutting back is certainly not the way to get God’s blessings. You must keep on doing what you have always done, even when you don’t get the results.
Fourth, realize the results are up to God. The great draught of fish did not come because of the disciples, but they came because the disciples obeyed and God blessed their obedience. Friend, you are not in charge of results. This is why you must not get discouraged when you don’t get results. Just because your results don’t measure up to another person does not mean God is not blessing. Always remember that God blesses obedience. God is in charge of the results, but you must keep obeying.
Let me encourage you to keep throwing the “nets” out into the deep. Don’t give up just because you haven’t seen results. Whether you are a Christian, pastor or ministry leader who has served God for a long time without results, don’t quit. When you get to the point of wanting to quit, run to this story and let it encourage you to keep going, for God has something in store for you if you just won’t quit.