Job CCCXLVI

Little is said of obedience nowadays. It goes against the grain of modern thinking, wherein everyone is right in their own eyes, everyone’s opinion is the only opinion that matters, and, twisting Scripture as some are fond of doing, many have concluded that if they must still obey the will of God, submit to the plan and purpose of God, and deny themselves, then their freedom is an illusion.

You’re a little god, baby. Your will is supreme, your plans are what matter most, and even if they stand in stark opposition to the plan of God, all you need do is set your jaw and, by sheer will alone, push against the mountainside until the mountain itself gives way.

Why take the time to ask God what His will is when you already know what your will is? Why take the time to listen for His voice, His direction, His unction, His instruction, when you can make it up on the fly, and be zip codes further along your preplanned route at the end of the day?

We have so elevated ourselves in our eyes that some deem it perfectly acceptable to set themselves against the will of God, thinking they know better, or that their will countermands God’s own will. Even while doing it, even while setting ourselves in diametrical opposition to God’s will, we come up with the oddest excuses for our rebellion, because the outcome, as far as we’re concerned, is already a foregone conclusion: we are right, we will always be right, and nothing can change our minds about the reality of our own rightness.

We are seeing the effects of this type of hubris in the physical, which mirrors the spiritual. It’s largely why people hesitate to hire the younger generation for any task, because they’re simply unwilling to follow instructions and do as they’re told. They think they know better, and even though they’ve gone through the training program, and told what they need to do, and the tasks they need to perform to remain gainfully employed, they still do as they will, causing issue and disruption so regularly that those in charge of productivity or the smooth continuity of whatever business they’re in have no choice but to let them go.

Even when the reason for their dismissal is plainly presented to them, they still create their own narrative insisting that the boss felt threatened, was jealous, or couldn’t see the genius of their approach in revamping a business that has been operating for nearing on a century, and successfully so.

We’ve become enamored with the idea of change for change’s sake, trying to fix what isn’t broken while ignoring the things that are, because it’s easier by far to lament what could have been had everything worked out the way we thought it would than roll up one’s sleeves and actually try to fix a problem.

This morning I was in Luke chapter 5 during my quiet time, and for those without perfect recall, it’s the story of the first miracle Simon Peter ever witnessed, one that was relatable to him since he was a fisherman by trade.

Jesus stood by the lake of Gennesaret, teaching the word of God, and the crowd began to press in. Seeing two boats by the lakeshore, He got into one of them and asked the man whose boat it was to put out a little from the land.

From the onset, there were two boats, but Jesus picked Simon’s boat to get into. Do you believe for an instant that this was coincidence? Did Jesus flip a coin when deciding whose boat he would get into?

God’s plan for your life started long before you were aware of it. God’s plan and purpose for you began while you were still in your mother’s womb. Jesus knew whose boat it was. He did not pick it randomly or by accident, and after speaking to the crowd, he told Simon to launch out into the deep and let his nets out for a catch.

Luke 5:5, “But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”

Ask any avid fisherman, and they can tell you they know when the fish are biting and when they aren’t. They know where to cast, what bait to use, each having their favorite spot from where to fish, anchored by the memories of past outings when the catch was plentiful. Peter knew his business. He knew when the time was right to go fishing, and when it would have been nothing more than wasted effort on his part.

His reasoning mind, his logical side, had concluded that launching into the deep and letting his nets out for a catch wouldn’t amount to much, and even said as such, his hesitation plain. Yet, his desire to be obedient overshadowed his doubt, and he said, “nevertheless, at Your word I will let down the net.”

I’ve tried this thing on my own already, and it didn’t pan out. I did everything you’re supposed to do to ensure a bountiful catch, and nothing came of it. We’ve toiled all night and caught nothing, but because You say to do it again, I will.

Anecdotal evidence and past experiences inevitably shape our future actions. We’ve even coined a term for it: insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. The difference between Simon toiling all night and having no success, and doing it anew, is that this time Jesus told him to do it.

Peter likely thought nothing would come of this endeavor, but because Jesus had said it, he nevertheless relented and did as he was asked.

Luke 5:6-8, “And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”’

Had he not obeyed, Peter would have never seen the miracle with his own eyes. Had he not done what Jesus asked him to do, all he’d have is an empty boat and a story he could tell his friends about how Jesus had asked him to launch out into the deep and let down his nets for a catch, which only meant that Jesus didn’t know much about fishing.

Men have come up with the wildest theories regarding what it takes to have a breakthrough in one’s life. They’ve complicated it to the point that they put on weeklong seminars, sell instruction manuals, and pen endless books, when all it takes is simple obedience. Do what God tells you to, even if it seems counterintuitive. Obey, even when you think nothing will come of it, because this time it’s different than all the other times, not because you’re older and wiser, not because you’ve been training for it, but because the One who spoke the universe into being commanded you to do it.

Then, having obeyed, seeing that your nets are full to bursting, and your boat is about to sink for all the fish you’ve caught, have the humility to acknowledge that it wasn’t you, your wisdom, your ingenuity, or ability, or your tenacity, but that it was all Him.

The pattern is undeniable. Whether Simon Peter or Job, once they saw the wondrous hand of God, once His plan and purpose were revealed to them, they could not help but be humbled into the dust and acknowledge the power, holiness, and omnipotence of God.  

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea, Jr.