The fishermen had been fishing all night in the Sea of Galilee and came up empty. They were tired and discouraged as they left the boats and began washing their nets. As they did this, a man stepped into one of the boats and asked its owner, Simon, to push it out into the water. Simon had heard about this man, Jesus, from his brother Andrew, so he pushed the boat out into the water. Jesus then sat down in the boat and began to teach the crowd that had assembled on the shore.
When He finished speaking, Jesus told Simon to take the boat out deeper and let down the nets in order to catch some fish. Wearily, Simon told Jesus that they had worked hard all night and caught nothing. As an experienced fisherman, Simon knew that, if they did not catch any fish at night, the chance of catching any in daylight was slim to none. But, out of respect, Simon looked at Jesus and said, “But, if you say so, I’ll let down the nets.” (Luke 5:1-5)
Have you ever been in a position like the one Simon was in? Maybe you’ve been praying for a family member, a friend, or a co-worker to come into a relationship with the Lord. Perhaps you have even talked to that person and received a negative response. Maybe you’ve tried more than once to talk to him or her about Jesus and have come up empty. You’re tired and discouraged and now, as you continue to pray, you hear the Holy Spirit whispering to you, “Throw out the net again.”
When you hear that request from the Holy Spirit, what is your response? You may think, “What’s the use? I have worked hard at bringing him to you, but he just doesn’t want to hear it.” You may say, “Lord, I’ve tried and tried with no luck. Maybe someone else should do it.” The better response is to be like Peter and say, “Lord, I’ve tried with no success. But, if you say so, I will try again.”
When Simon threw out the nets again, the results were amazing. The nets were so full of fish that they began to tear (Luke 5:6). Jesus knew that the fish were there just waiting to be caught in Simon’s nets. The Holy Spirit knows when those you are praying for are ready to hear the Good News of salvation through Jesus. So, when He gives you the prompting, it’s time to push your boat out deeper and throw out the net again. The response may be more than you ever could have hoped for.
A Worshiper's Journal 