At Thy Word
“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 (KJV)
Our culture usually puts it in this order: first you feel like it, then you do it, then you think about why. Obedience often works the other way around. You act, then you understand, and the feelings come last.
Peter had fished all night and caught nothing. He was tired and he knew those waters better than a carpenter did. When Jesus told him to try again, he said, “Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.” He didn’t feel like it. He did it anyway, at Jesus’s word, and the nets filled.
Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” Love shows up in what we do, even before we feel it.
The good news is that the gap between the feeling and the obedience gets smaller with practice. Each time you act on his word without waiting for the feeling, it becomes a little easier the next time. Start with the next thing he has asked of you.
Read it yourself
Read Luke 5:1–11. How did Peter respond once he saw what had happened?
What has God asked of you that you are waiting to feel like doing?
Lord, nevertheless at thy word. Help me obey before I feel like it, and trust you with the rest. Amen.