Can you visualize it?

Simon, the professional fisherman, has been fishing all night (when you’re supposed to fish) and hasn’t caught anything.  Jesus, who is a carpenter, not a professional fisherman, tells him to put his nets out now (during the day, when you’re not supposed to fish if you want to catch anything).

The first part of Simon’s reply sounds like it may have had a teeny touch of ‘attitude’  🙂

But then he says the magic words – ‘if you say so’.  He does what Jesus asks and they catch 2 boats full of fish.  Sudden success!  Fisherman’s lottery!  How many more boats can we buy?  More boats will catch more fish….we’ll be rich!

Right?

Visualize Simon surrounded by piles of fish – a sudden windfall.  And yet he immediately steps away from this success and leaves everything to follow Jesus.

When Simon said ‘if you say so’, he meant it.  None of it made sense, and yet Simon was ready to do whatever Jesus said.

In my life, I have found that God’s directions often don’t make sense.  They are not what I had planned and  they are not in line with where I thought I was going.  It’s actually become a verification for me – if it’s not something I would have ever thought up on my own, it must be from God. 

I’ve learned that, if I’m obedient at these times, I will get to experience the blessing and joy he had planned for me.  But blessings and joy always come later, after the ‘if you say so”.

Dear Father, please help us always say yes to you, even when it doesn’t make sense.