Momentum For Monday, December 11th 2023

 "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.” (Luke 5:5)

My father is an avid fisherman. As a kid, there wasn't a vacation that we didn't go on where we couldn't be on the water or take his boat. He drug my family and I to every lake in our area and made us go to all the fishing conventions. Just being around it all my life has made me understand so much about fishing.

But here in Luke 5, Simon was a professional fisherman. His life was based around this industry. It wasn't a hobby or a sport. This man made a living because he knew his profession.

After spending all night out on the water, Simon comes in with what every fisherman hates, but knows is inevitable- he caught nothing. Hours were spent casting nets with no avail. It doesn't mean he is a terrible fisherman, it's just part of the risk in that profession.

Jesus tells him to go out there and try it again after spending hours with no results. I doubt the instruction Jesus gave was anything he didn't try already that night. There isn't anything more frustrating than having someone try and solve your dilemma than by telling you to do the exact same thing you've been doing. I mean, isn’t that the definition of insanity?

While it would be so natural to respond with sarcasm and/or defiance, Simon obeys, but not without reluctance. But even in the reluctance, he says something key. "Because you say so..."

Your translation may say, "at your word..." or something like that, but either way, it references that same Greek word. The word "rhema" is a spoken word. It's the spoken word that God uses to birth faith.

That word is the same word that is used in Romans 10:17 about faith coming by hearing the word. It's also the same word used in Ephesians 6:17 when we are instructed to take up the sword to fight with the "word" of God. 

So what's does this mean? In short, as Christians, we need to hear God speak to us. We need a word. But let's use it in context with Luke 5- you can go after something that you know how to do or that you should do and fail time and time again. 

When that happens, we reason that doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results is insanity. Right? But if you hear instruction from God about something, despite what you can reason, it's in our best interest to do it. Do it regardless of how right you think you are.

Real faith trumps our reasoning. Our thoughts, knowledge, and experience pale in comparison to our Father's. Faith doesn't always make sense, but it's always rooted the logic of Scripture. 

Listen intently this week. Don't push your agenda. Slow down and seek to really hear from God. Just maybe the net-busting breakthrough we need hangs in the balance in hearing a word over our intuition.

"And you will need the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the Word of God."

(Ephesians 6:17)