By Agustus Henry
You have prayed, fasted, waited, spoken to the pastor, and still nothing!
A Brother once asked, when I have tried everything to overcome a seemingly insurmountable problem, and I appear to be going nowhere, what do I do? My response: giants do fall; mountains can crumble; the sea can be separated. Nothing is too hard for the Lord if you keep walking in obedience and patience. The following story about Jesus provides an answer to this dilemma:
When It seems like your hard work results in nothing
Luke 4: 2-7
“He (Jesus) saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to ‘put out a little from shore.’ Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Remember that they had already returned from fishing. They were washing their nets. “Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything.”
This is where most of us falter – when we stop at the point of frustration – when we think that we have taken our best shot at a problem or when our limitations show up: I have done all I can; I have been waiting way too long. This is the line that sometimes separate successful people from ineffective individuals. There are quite a few examples of people like that in the Bible who are confronted by their limitations or frustration:
The blind man by the pool – I have been here 38 years.
Moses, – I can’t speak
Jerimiah – I am but a child
Gideon, my family is insignificant, I am too young, their army is too strong.
We can always find reasons to give up, but all you need is a half a reason to continue. And, Peter found that reason in Jesus.
Change of attitude, changes circumstances
Peter was careful to overlook his natural doubt and exclaimed, ‘nevertheless, because you say so, I will let down the nets.’ “When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.”
Nevertheless, is a conjunction that changes your disposition on life. It alters your outlook. Nevertheless, puts all the bad things behind you and all the good ahead of you. It reroutes your destination from left to right – down to up – from outside to inside – from disobedience to obedience. It changes your circumstance from failure to success. When you are struggling and nevertheless comes to mind, beautiful things can happen. Peter, ‘nevertheless, at thy word I will let down the net.’ “And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fish: and their net broke.
The places where the contrasting conjunction such as nevertheless is used in scripture, it always alters attitudes and circumstances. In a situation where the nation of Israel was struggling in a drought, God reminded Elisha: For this is what the Lord says (Elisha): You will see neither wind nor rain, nevertheless, this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink. When God is about to alter a circumstance, what the eye saw beforehand is irrelevant to the outcome. We like to rely on our abilities, what the eye can see, and the right situation, but God needs none of that. Without wind or rain, he creates rivers of water in dry land.
Listening and obedience could change situations
The idea of contrasting conjunctions in speech is to invert existing situations, but that change is possible only when we yield to God:
God rewards when you are totally submissive to his command – Push the boat out even though you’re tired – Results in more fish than they can manage
Your family and friends will also reap the reward of your commitment to God – other fishermen or friends also benefited from the catch.
When you commit to God, he gives both temporal and spiritual success:
They did not only catch an abundance of fish, they learned learn to save men.
So, what do you do when facing stubborn failure – Your obligations:
Obedience:
And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.
Talk to God (communication):
Phil 4: 6-7
Be careful about nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Put God First:
So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
4. Be patient:
They that wait upon the lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.