Good advice! When things seem impossible, the best course of action is just to obey God’s voice. Do what we know to do, as insignificant as that may be. Just do it.

Here Peter knew it was pointless to pursue fishing. They had already. They worked all night, and there were no fish. Now understand, this isn’t fishing with poles where it depends on skill, on fish biting… This is net fishing. Either the fish are present or not. Here Peter knew there were no fish! Yet Jesus says, “Just do it again.” There is absolutely no reason to expect success, none. It would take a miracle.

Exactly!

Sometimes God purposefully allows our actions to be unfruitful and our labors to go unrewarded. This may well be such an example. God may have called the fish away from the fishermen all night to make this point… That He alone is in control. It is not our work that generates success, not our talents, not our skills, but His grace. Our part is to obey, work hard, and do what we can, but He brings the harvest.

I had a similar experience years ago. As a Radio Shack franchise owner in a small town, we went yearly to a franchise convention. I made it a goal to meet as many other owners in similar towns as to ask, “What works?”. I assumed that there would be patterns of success, things to do that usually worked. But no. For years the answers came back all over the

map. What worked for one failed for another. Absolutely no pattern. Nothing.

Because scripture is right! God brings the harvest! It is His sovereign choice who and when to bless and who not.

Here Peter was not blessed yet. His work led to nothing until God brought the blessing. Then, as you know the story, they filled two boats with fish! An overflowing harvest.

Our job? To obey, to work, to trust in Him, to walk in faith. It’s not easy in lean times! But perhaps it is even harder in blessed times to remember that it’s all Him and not us! In lean times we need faith; in blessed times, we need humility.

Whether your day brings blessings or empty nets… Remember that God is the Lord of the harvest. Seek Him, and keep doing what He leads you to do. Success is NOT the filling of the nets; success is in obedience out of pure faith!

Have faith plus humility, and relax. God is good.