The year 2021 was a defining year for so many families and communities around the globe. Especially for as many that were hit either by the pandemic, economic or security challenges living in this clime. As children of God, in spite of all that was happening, we placed our hope for health and general wellbeing squarely in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ. By the last day of December 2021, many dreams and aspirations were not realised. This did not mean that God was displeased with them or that their faith was misplaced, rather it showed that God was still on the case. You may ask, ‘what does that mean?’
A similar situation occurred with some men in the Bible. “As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s word, He was standing by Lake Gennesaret. He saw two boats at the edge of the lake; the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets” Luke 5:1-2. Beloved, you pressed in on Jesus Christ last year and even the years past concerning the situation you are in to get the issues answered and resolved. You served, worshipped, fasted, prayed to Him, yet there was no result. It was like, He was standing so close to you without doing anything to change the situation. Just like the fishermen after a long hard night of work and no catch to show for their labour, they left the boats and were washing their nets. Nets that caught nothing but debris. They were preparing their nets to go out again. They didn’t abandon the boat or the profession because they caught nothing the previous night. They didn’t give up or abandon the place of hope.
Beloved, as the New Year started, are you still in the place of hope? How prepared is your heart for the catch (answer) you are trusting God for? If the ‘answer’ should come now, can you hold it and keep it? Do you know that if you give up or abandon hope now, there is nothing God can do for you? He needs your ‘boat’ and your ‘nets’! “He got into one of the boats which belonged to Simon and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then He sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat. When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch‘” (Luke 5:3-4). Can you imagine the state of the heart of Peter and his colleagues at this time? A random man just comes into your boat, without negotiating and tells you to put your boat out, then he starts to preach. Many of us, at our lowest point, feel we have nothing else to offer God. We have done and given of ourselves, yet we have nothing to show for all our efforts. Many have abandoned their boats and nets, blaming everyone and God for not having anything to show for all of their ‘toiling’ and time spent! Throughout Scriptures, we see God come to people that are at their lowest point to make demands of them. One would be very reluctant to want to release what is in one’s hand when one is in dire need. Beloved, that is when God demands of you! For Simon, he was willing. After the Lord had finished teaching, He gave divine instructions to Simon. If Simon had refused to put out his boat by loaning it to the Master, the instruction would not have come: “…But at Your word, I’ll let down the nets” (Luke 5:5b). Beloved, there is a ‘But’ to operate in. No matter what is happening around you, there is a ‘But’. That ‘But’ is the divine instruction of God; which can only be gotten when we surrender to Him despite the situation or dealings we are going through.
He had promised to be with us in our journey through life till the very end. Beloved, Press On! Do not give up. Listen for His Divine instructions and shut your ears to the babblings of the people around you. As we prepare for His soon return, child of God, what you are going through is for His glory and the result will bring glory to His name: “…This came about so that God’s works might be displayed in Him” (John 9:3b). Do not give up or abandon hope! Great things He will do and accomplish for His Kingdom in and through you, in Jesus Christ name! God bless you as you press on in Him to continually receive divine instructions for your journey in this life! Happy New Year!
