My Pastor preached a powerful message and teaching recently on Luke 5:11. One of his statements that really stuck with me was, “Provision waits on Obedience.” In verse 4 of Luke 5, Jesus instructs His disciples to “Launch out into the deep and let down your net for a catch.” This chapter also tells us that the disciples had “toiled all night and caught nothing.” This is what they told Jesus. But nevertheless, at His command, they did as He instructed; they obeyed. As a result of their obedience to His words, provision was obtained. The disciples caught so many fish, and the “boats began to sink.”
Provision waits on Obedience.
His message got me thinking about this new season of my life that I’m about to journey through. I’m moving to a new place of residence, not only a new place of residence but a totally new State! I’m moving on to the next chapter of my life! A new territory I’ve never encountered before. With new responsibilities, new possibilities, and new probabilities. God has made it clear to me that I am on a Mission. His Mission to “fish for men.” This new move and encountering new people and new places my feet must tread is totally unfamiliar to me. And it’s also a little scary because I know where I’m going; the Lord is going to require more from me. “To whom much is given, much is required,” Luke 12:48.
Jesus is calling some of us into deeper waters with Him. Calling us to a New Land where He’s going to ask us to step into uncomfortable situations of possibly speaking unpopular words. Maybe leading, guiding, and instructing others in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Where we will truly find the deeper provisions of God. Receiving this kind of provision from God, we have to be willing to take the risk. Be a “risk-taker.” And go into deeper waters. We’re gonna have to be willing to lose everything to gain Everything. That means that when the Holy Spirit says to speak, we have to speak. That means not “shrinking back” when the Spirit of God is leading you to say something to someone that is for their own good, but they may not be ready to receive it. Obey, and speak it anyway!
After the disciples witnessed this miracle of Jesus, they left everything to follow Him. Jesus told them, “don’t be afraid; from now on, you’ll catch men.” That is also our assignment from Him….our call….our ministry. We, His chosen, His ambassadors, His disciples, must give it all up and be “all in” for Christ. For the sake of the Gospel. God has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. We have been tasked with the assignment of telling the world what Jesus has done for them!
My Pastor’s teaching on this Scripture released me to admit and confess to God and myself how I so desperately want more of God, so much more of Him; O how I hunger for more of Him, but I don’t like to do the things that make me uncomfortable, like, speaking in front of people. I’ve battled with this undesirable trait for quite some time now, and it ends now! Again, Provision waits on Obedience. How can I ask God to give me “more,” more insight, more revelation, more of His Beautiful Heart, when I shrink back and seize up on the Holy Spirit’s leading when He instructs me to do or say something I’m not comfortable with?! I must be willing to go out into the deeper! Be obedient to His possible and probable difficult request of me and do the hard work that is required for my flesh to die and His Spirit within me to grow! No matter how uncomfortable His commands of me may make me, I must be Obedient!
But God is saying, “Let Me heal you of this bondage.” It is a bondage. It’s a hindrance. It’s holding you back. You hold back from total obedience to Me, and it’s holding you back from walking in total freedom in Me!” “Let Me set you free from your desire of only wanting to live in what is convenient and comfortable for you.” God wants to deliver His people from this captivity. He has called all of His own to lay it all before Him and follow Him, and that means even the “uncomfortableness”(if that’s a word) of the moments He may lead us into. You will never experience His deeper until you are willing to dive into the deeper waters. God is saying, “Let Me heal you.”
Where Jesus is leading you, and the provision you truly desire of the Lord, is into the deeper waters. You gotta go into the deeper waters to gain access to His “more.” Launch out into the deeper and delight in all that God has planned for your life. You must say, “What can man do to me?” “I can’t hold back any longer!” It’s a New Beginning and a New Land. It’s New Wine in New Wineskins. This is a holy breakthrough and a supernatural breakthrough for you! God is setting up your future. This is the answer to your many prayers and what you’ve wholeheartedly desired from God Almighty! Freedom! Freedom to fully delight in all of God’s goodness! It’s the Freedom that Christ brings to an obedient, all-in heart.
Supernatural beginnings have come your way! Your new beginning in your new land! A fresh start! Wow! That’s awesome! (Speaking of myself, how many people get this kind of an opportunity in life at 60 years old to begin again!?) This is the best thing that could’ve happened to you! A new beginning to your life, not the ending. It’s another chapter to be written. You write the narrative as you live, breathe, and move in God’s divine plans for your life. You write the narrative as you experience what could have been, your “should’ve,” “would’ve,” and “could’ve.” God has great moments of joy and prosperity for you. God can do a lot with a little. Step into deeper faith in Christ…. step into complete obedience to Him; step into your deeper waters by abiding in Him and trusting the Holy Spirit’s leading. And be prepared to be richly blessed! Provision waits on Obedience. Launch Out Into The Deeper.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Bella’s Blessings
Featured Image by Cristian Palmer on Unsplash
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