�When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, �Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.� 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.� 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!� For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, �Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.� So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.�
There are times when it is hard for me to understand how God can answer a prayer. Sometimes situations like cancer that has been diagnosed as terminal, an addiction that�s controlling a life, or broken marriages seem just too big to even pray about. Logically, we want to limit God�s ability to the things we believe not to be beyond hope - rather than trusting God to find a way. Sometimes logic simply overrules the faith that we - as Christians - are to have. Such was the case with Simon, James, and John in the passage in Luke 5.
Simon, James and John had just heard Jesus teach the multitude of people gathered at the Sea of Galilee from their own boat. Yet, when Jesus asked them to cast out their nets, they explained that they�d fished all night, and had caught nothing, and really didn�t believe there was any need in trying again. As most fishers can tell you, the best time to fish is at night. These seasoned fishers had already been defeated � they�d caught nothing after working all night. Yet this stranger wanted them to go back to work!
Jesus apparently had impressed Simon in His teaching because he was willing to at least let down ONE net. This was much less than Jesus had asked him to do � Jesus wanted ALL his nets into the sea so He could bless him greatly. Yet, in spite of Simon�s lack of faith, the catch was more than they could manage. It was so much more that their boat � and their partner�s boat - began to sink with the weight of the catch! Simon and the fishers could truly say, �My cup runneth over�. They�d been blessed beyond what their minds could understand.
What would have happened if they�d cast out ALL their nets? Would Jesus have allowed them to catch so much that the boats would have sank? I don�t think so. As we are taught in Matthew 17:20, as little faith as that of a mustard seed can do great things. Simon had that little amount of faith � and that was all he needed to be blessed so very greatly.
Was this a miracle? Would it be though to be one if it happened today? No. Most fishers today would say that the currents changed, the water temperature warmed in the daylight hours, the bait was better, or simply that the fish started biting. Our lack of faith in what God can do for us is sometimes rooted in our inability to understand that God has no limits to what He can do. But Isaiah 55:8-9 tells us that God�s ways and His thoughts are much higher than we can understand. We must learn to rely not on our logic, but on faith in God and what He can do. Faith is the muscle of the soul. It must be exercised to grow. So how do you exercise your faith?
1. Let God own your problems. Like Simon, just cast out your nets, and wait for the catch. God doesn�t need our help. He just needs our willingness to allow Him to help.
2. Trust in God. Remember the things He has done � for you and for others. When you doubt, study your Bible and learn how God showed up in the midst of the trials of our Christian ancestors.
3. Remember who you are trusting. Surely a God that can breathe life into a man made from dirt can cure a cancer, remove a self-destructive behavior, rebuild torn relationships, and anything else our simple minds can ponder.
4. Spend time with God. If a closer relationship can foster trust between two people, then surely spending time with God � in prayer and in His Word - will foster greater trust in Him.
We don�t have to understand how God will answer our prayers � we just have to have faith that He can � and will.