Success God's Way

Sometimes, it is hard to keep going when it seems nothing is happening. Peter knew the waters, the nets, and the routine, yet all his effort still left him empty-handed. There is a point when we know what to do; it has worked many times before, but this time, no matter how hard we try, it's just not working. How is this possible?

I believe this is how Peter felt that day. Peter was a fisherman by trade. It was the way he was able to provide for his family. Like many of us, he wasn't considered a wealthy man. He was able to make a decent living, but did not have significant wealth. I can imagine he was exhausted from fishing all night, yet when Jesus asked him to cast out to the deep, even though he questioned, he also obeyed, and abundance followed.

This shows me two things:

1. God is not upset by our questions.
2. God is moved by our obedience.

When we work towards a goal, and nothing seems to change, things can get tough and discouraging. Like Peter, we can get tired and feel like quitting for a while.

There have been many times when I’ve wanted to give up on obeying God’s direction or walking along the path He’s asked me to take. Each time I reach that point of weariness, God sends a reminder, often in the very area where I’m struggling, letting me know that He is with me, and I’m not alone. So usually, it’s in those same moments of weakness that His presence becomes the clearest.

The prophet Isaiah describes it beautifully: as we journey, if we begin to turn to the right or the left, a voice will call out behind us, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:21, NIV)

This has been my experience.

When our plans fall apart, we tend to look for new ways to succeed and go after what we think will make us happy. But what if, to God, real success is just doing what He asks?

Peter's hard work in that moment brought nothing because God wanted to get Peter to the end of himself, so that he could try something different in his life. This is when God changed Peter's trade from fishing in the sea to fishing for His people.

When Jesus got in the boat, there were so many fish that Peter had to call his friends to help. Will you say yes to God, even when believing that something different can come from obedience becomes hard?