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Fruitfulness Awaits As You Trust And Tread Deep Waters!
(Luke 5:4-6) “When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.”
Has the Lord been speaking to your heart to do a new thing for Him and you have backed down in fear? Maybe it is life’s roadblocks that are holding you back. Do you have a desire in your heart to do something for the Lord and yet you feel as if you have hit one roadblock after another and do not seem to be growing in the Lord as much as you would like? Do you feel stuck? Take a look back at the events and circumstances that have come your way. Have your reacted in fear and taken the more “careful road”? Or maybe you felt deep down in your heart you needed to wait on something but went ahead doing what you thought needed to be done and in your own way and it did not turn out the way you had prayed for it to.
A relationship with God is all about faith, (John 20:29) “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” In the deep waters of life; a job loss, the loss of a loved one, or a broken relationship; all can be major upsets in your life. These events can be stressful and fearful. When a crisis came your way in the past how did you react? Did you react in fear? Most of us do, but God is calling us to tread the deep waters, the catch will be much greater and will affect others as well. Simon had to get the help of another boat and that is what we should all want; to bring as many people to heaven with us as we can. Maybe God is directing you to do something new, but to you, it seems way over your head; deep waters. Fear not! If you want to be a servant of God, then you need to walk in faith. (Hebrews 11:6) “And without faith it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”
He needs to trust that when He sends us out into the world to do something for Him we will do it and not back down in fear.
(Romans 8:15-17) “For you did not receive a spirit of fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by Him, we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.”
He gives us faith, not fear! (Romans 12:3) “For I say, through the grace give to me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.” In the scripture above, Jesus told Simon, who was not yet a disciple to take his boat back out to the water, the deep waters. Simon had just come in and was putting his nets away with no catch. Much like us when we try to do things in our own efforts, we come up empty. (John 15:5) “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” Apart from God, we will be fruitless, but with Him and as a child of God we have victory every time! (Psalm 60:12) “With God, we will gain the victory, and He will trample down our enemies.” Do you have a desire to serve God to bring people to the Lord? It doesn’t matter whether you want to be fruitful in the background in the gift of administration, or street witnessing, evangelism, teaching, preaching, singing, or writing; no matter what it is you desire, it will be fruitful and anointed if you trust in God and obey Him.
As the trials of life bombard, us, remember the cross; remember how much God loves you, and do not freeze up in fear. Walk on; walk on in faith that He will not let you fall. (Hebrews 10:35) “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.” That is all He asks, to love, trust and obey. (John 14:21) “Whoever has My commands and obeys them, He is the one who loves Me. He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I too will love Him and show Myself to him.” If a storm suddenly invades your life, fear not! Look at it instead as an opportunity for God to teach you even more about how to trust and be patient with Him.
Look at it as an opportunity for God to bring out more of the spiritual gifts He wants to bestow on you. Look at the storm as an opportunity to let the light and love of God shine through as you learn, grow, and trust Him; before you know it, the storm will have passed, and God will pour out His blessings on you like a rainbow after the storm.
(Galatians 6:9) “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”