Here is one of Satan’s traps: God places an opportunity before you, and suddenly you wonder whether He opened the door. You analyze the situation from a human perspective: “If this happens, then I’ll know God is involved. If I get this piece of information, it is His will and I will go forward.” That’s not obedience. If Peter had taken time to go through a mental Rolodex of information about Jesus, he might never have pushed away from shore. The Holy Spirit was the One who brought Peter to the point of obedience. Earlier we talked about how we come to know Jesus as Savior. His Spirit must draw us, and that was exactly what happened with Peter. He knew that the Man who was in his boat was much more than an everyday teacher. He was from God.
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Another way Satan can trip us is by telling us that God leaves some issues up to us. He whispers, “This is not a big deal. It doesn’t matter what you decide at this juncture. If it was something really huge, then God would let you know what you should do.” As hard as it is to believe, young people—who have married and then realized they had many differences—have come to me and said that they did not realize God had a plan in this area. Some are believers, but they never really took a serious amount of time to pray and ask God to give them the right marriage partner. Others may have married unbelievers, and their lives are miserable because suddenly they are unequally yoked (
2 Cor. 6:14). We could list many, many situations where we have jumped into a situation without asking God what is best. Nothing is insignificant to God. Peter’s journey into obedience began with a simple action. Jesus got into his boat and began teaching God’s truth. Don’t be tempted to think that Peter did not have a choice. He could have asked Jesus to leave, but he didn’t; and his life was totally changed in a matter of moments.
God wants to fill your life with good things. He has so many rewards, but for the most part, they are not like the rewards of this world. You may achieve a certain level of success, but it will fade. You can earn large sums of money, but not a dime will go with you to heaven. Only God’s rewards are eternal. Only His blessings bring the peace and joy you long to have. The way He operated in Peter’s life is the same way He will operate in your life. You may not be standing on a shoreline cleaning a bunch of nets, but without a doubt there will be a time when He will come to you and say, “Move your boat out into deep water, and let down your nets for a catch.”
Not only did Peter have to move his boat away from shore, but he had to gather up all his nets—make sure they were folded and ready to go—and then he had to raise his sails so he could go back out on the water. He left the shoreline wondering what would happen next. And when something marvelous happened, he was ready to change occupations. The issue is: What is God’s will for your life? Peter realized what His will was for him, but you must come to a point where you know that you are living the life He has planned for you to live. Once He has made this clear and after you have made the decision to obey Him, the feelings of worry stop, the fretting ends, and the chatter of “what if” fades. You may face feelings of doubt again, however. And if you do, you may have to go back to God and ask Him to encourage your heart and help you recall the verses He gave you that brought finalization, hope and clarity.
How would you categorize your life? Would you say that you are committed to obeying the Lord, but you want to make sure that what you do will be best for you? Or would you say, “I just have this feeling inside every time someone tells me what to do. A wave comes over me, and I can sense this feeling building within that makes me want to say, ‘I know what I’m doing, and I know what is best’”? Someone reading this may think,
My father was so demanding that I just want to say no to authority no matter what is involved. These are harsh statements, but I have heard ones like them and more.
The truth is: if you do not come to a conclusion of faith and obedience—it takes both—then your life is going to be outlined by defeat, failure, disappointment, suffering and one wrong decision after another. You must believe in the One whom God has sent to you. The outcome of Peter’s faith was a new line of work—one that had an eternal purpose. Jesus said to him, “Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men” (
Luke 5:10). What an awesome way to live the rest of your life—in the shadow of His constant care, in the light of His truth and eternal glory!
Used by permission. Adapted from
In Step with God by Charles Stanley (Thomas Nelson Publishers, Copyright 2008).
