10-Jan-2025 – Will You Support God’s Work Even in Your Discouragement?
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 – Luke 5:5
This is a well-known incident that we have heard countless times in our churches and various gatherings. Today, however, we will delve deeper into this story as the Holy Spirit helps us understand it more profoundly.
If we reflect from the beginning, we see that Jesus Christ went to that place to teach the people. There was a large crowd gathered, and Jesus was teaching them many things. To carry out His ministry, He needed a place to sit. There were two boats, and He chose Simon’s boat.
Now, from Simon’s perspective, he was busy washing his nets. But he did not deny Jesus his support and allowed Him to sit in his boat. To do this, he had to move his boat a little into the sea.
After Jesus finished His ministry, He immediately asked Simon to launch out into the sea to catch fish. However, Simon didn’t tell Jesus anything beforehand. But Jesus knew his situation and, proactively, offered him the opportunity to experience God’s supernatural grace.
In our lives as well, when we support the ministry of God in any form, God will definitely look after our needs at the right time. Simon simply offered his boat, that’s all. In today’s world, some may support by cleaning, providing resources, working, and many other unseen or seemingly insignificant tasks in ministry. But in God’s sight, even giving a small glass of water for the work of the ministry is not forgotten by Him.
Next, Simon was a professional fisherman, but he still couldn’t catch a single fish. He knew the sea well and was with his teammates, doing their regular job, but nothing worked out. In that disappointing situation, Jesus came to his boat and asked him to move it so that He could speak to the gathered crowd. If we were in that situation, we might have told Jesus to check other boats, as we were already disappointed and busy washing the nets. But Simon did not do that.
Furthermore, when you meditate on the time of night, you realize it is a time when sunlight is absent, all people, and most animals and birds go to rest, and no one will be available to offer help if needed. Night is a time when you cannot see clearly and there is no visibility of the way forward. In this same context, Simon toiled all night without help, without a working plan, and with no visible way to success.
There is an important phrase used by Simon:
Nevertheless, at thy word I will let down the net. — Luke 5:5
The only difference between the night and now was the word of Jesus. The word of Jesus is nothing but the word of God. When God speaks, His word comes with an “Amen.” When Simon obeyed the word of Jesus, he experienced success.
And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. — Luke 5:6
From this portion, we can extract a few important points:
- When you take part in the ministry of God, no matter how small the task may seem, you will receive your reward.
- When you support the work of God, even in life’s disappointments, you will receive God’s support to overcome your disappointments.
- When you work hard without the word of God, you may not see success. But once you receive the word of God, believe it, and act accordingly, you will surely see success.
May God help us to learn and apply these truths in our own lives.
Prayer
Dear loving Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and grace. Thank You for teaching us today about the wonderful truth that supporting the work of God, no matter how small, does not go unnoticed or unrewarded. Thank You for Your faithfulness. Help us to support Your work in any possible way in our lives. I pray this in the name of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen!
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